All That Jazz 2: Rewrite
by Zexion666
Summary: sequal to the beloved "All That Jazz". Picks up where the first one left off. Everyone's doing their own thing, but the Decepticons are still around, and this time, they brought a friend with them.
1. Chapter 1

Re-vamped. I'm saving the three sisters for something else. :D

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: No matter how many of these stories I write, I DO NOT own Transformers.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

All That Jazz 2!

CH. 1

Just over two hundred six miles off the coast of California, lolling in the Academy barracks, Goldbug was having a nice dream about eating cotton candy at the state fair a week ago.

Trigger sat on the yellow femme's chest, staring at her face. It slowly raised its head flaps, turning them flat-side toward the sleeping Autobot, and its lens-like eye narrowed to a pinhole. And just as suddenly as a car honks, music blared from the small flaps.

_Geeet read or not 'cause here I come!_

"AAA!" Goldbug sat up suddenly, feeling as though her spark would suddenly explode.

_Dance, dance, dance, and have some fun!_

"Trigger!" She threw an open medical pack at the eyeball; steel wool, and energon ointments spilling out onto the floor.

_6-5-4 3-2-1, get up! Get up!_

Goldbug looked at the Cybertronian chronometer on the wall, and gasped. "Oh slag, I'm late!" She jumped out of bed, gathered the contents of the pack, and Trigger, and ran out the door.

_Oh no, never ever gonna stop_

Goldbug raced down the main avenue from the barracks to the medical training building, cursing the twenty or so block, and wishing she'd picked up some Energon snacks to tie her over until she could get a decent breakfast.

_Try to fly and if I drop. Not gonna quit. Get up, get up, get up!_

Bluestreak waved as Goldbug passed by, chuckling. "Run for your spark! He's gonna take it out of your aft this time!" He jeered.

"You have no idea!" Goldbug shouted back as she continued to run.

_Stand back. I'm gonna make some noise_

"Look out, construction zone!" Smokescreen exclaimed as Goldbug trampled through wet cement, and left footprints that would do Sunstreaker and Sideswipe proud.

Smokescreen scratched his head, and sighed.

"Should we fill it in?" A mini-bot called.

Smokescreen chuckled. "Nah, leave it. It's almost set anyway." He shook his head, amused.

_Sing until they hear my voice._

"Woah, hey! Wait!" Goldbug called to the cross-city train blaring its final boarding call.

The train pulled away without Goldbug.

_Can't keep me down. Get up, Get up_

Goldbug sighed, dejected at first then smiled, and sprinted down the train platform to the street. She transformed into a yellow VW Bug, and picked up speed.

_Geet ready or not 'cause here I come_

A GPS device on the dashboard beeped, a red arrow blinking.

_Dance, dance, dance, have some fun_

_6-5-4 3-2-1_

-**Traffic jam ahead-**

_Get up, Get up_

On the train, a black femme looked out the window, and jumped slightly at the sight of a small yellow car matching the train's speed.

_Get up, up, up_

_Woah, woah_

Goldbug dodged traffic, and marveled at how despite the size of Autobot City, the few humans living there still managed to create a traffic jam fourteen blocks from the command center.

_Up up up_

"Oh, you're joking." The yellow bug groaned.

An opening presented itself in the form of a service ramp leading to an upper catwalk, and Goldbug felt her inner mischief-maker squeal with excitement.

_Rain falls down on my parade_

The yellow VW bounced slightly as it sat in traffic, taking a moment to mull over whether or not she should take another moving violation.

_Lemons into Lemonade_

Goldbug took the opportunity, however highly against Autobot City traffic policy set down by Prowl, and scaled the ramp, transforming at the top, and running along the construction catwalk.

_Can't slow me down_

"Prowl's gonna kill me." She groaned, sprinting toward the end of the catwalk, preparing for whatever speech she would be getting later about responsibility, and tardiness.

_No way, no way, no way_

Two Construction bots sat up ahead enjoying a morning cup of hot energon, and laughing. Goldbug breezed past them, knocking one of them off the railing.

Trigger wailed, watching over Goldbug's back.

_Yesterday is in the past, Revolt_

The yellow femme had hoped old habits would break after she got into a routine at the academy

_Tomorrow's coming fast_

As Ironhide would say to Goldbug, "Old habits die hard". The yellow femme could only assume that meant her habits would not break by repetition alone.

_All you got is now, get up, get up_

At the rate Goldbug was going, she had thirteen moving violations, illegal access to an otherwise restricted construction zone, stomped through wet cement, AND was going to be _very_ late to a class with a _very_impatient instructor, so the only thing she could do was enjoy her run, and hope she didn't spend the rest of her lifecycle in the detention center.

_Geet ready or not 'cause here I come!_

The end of the catwalk was near, and Goldbug vaulted it without thought to the street below.

_Dance, dance, dance, have some fun!_

Add crushing a pedestrian to her morning commute, and continued on after apologizing profusely.

_654 321_

_Get up, get up!_

She held one hand up to her face, and a holographic screen displayed the time being already four microns until class started (roughly two and a half Earth minutes).

_Get up, up, up_

_Woah, woah_

By now the yellow femme surmised Prowl had a name for this kind of conduct; something like "pulling a Goldbug". She chuckled despite herself as she passed the security building.

_Up, up, up_

_Woah, woah_

_up, up, up_

In the security office, Prowl's comm. line blinked, and he tapped the side of his head. "Prowl here. Go ahead."

_Prowl, this is Red Alert. I'm tracking a fast moving object that has broken every safety protocol within Autobot City limits in less than fifteen microns._

Prowl growled, and rubbed his head. "Goldbug."

_Woah, woah_

_Up, up, up_

So far no sirens, or signs of being stopped, so the yellow femme pressed on. Trigger beat on her shoulder wailing, and pleading for Goldbug to turn herself in, and beg for a short sentence.

_Woah, woah_

_Up, up, up_

Up ahead another obstacle presented itself in the form of Metroplex lumbering down the avenue in vehicle mode toward the science building of the academy, still a good six micron run away. Unfortunately for Goldbug, the only way to the medical training building was along the same avenue the white construction vehicle happened to be filling, and she was short on time as it was.

_Hey you_

_Don't let 'em see you frown_

_Come on, turn it upside down_

Distress took over as Goldbug imagined herself being smelted down for being late for the fifteenth time that term. She quickly looked around for a way out.

_Don't ever quit_

_Get up, get up_

There was nothing except Metroplex, and the road. Trigger fluttered up in Goldbug's face, waving its chord arms in distress-It's _extending_ chord arms.

_When life puts you to the test_

_There's nothing better than your best_

Goldbug grabbed Trigger, pulled out one of its arms much to the eyebot's surprise, and swung him in circles over her head as she ran head-on toward the rear of Metroplex.

_Show 'em up what you got_

_You got a lot_

Goldbug threw Trigger to a loop on Metroplex's roof. The little bot twisted its free arm through the loop, and mewled as it hung on.

_Show 'em what you got_

_Get up get up_

Goldbug grinned. "Pull me up, Trigger!"

_Get up, up, up_

_Woah woah_

Trigger activated its pulley, and pulled just as Goldbug jumped up.

_Up, up, up_

_Woah, woah_

The yellow femme caught the edge of the white vehicle's roof, groaning slightly form the unfamiliar exertion.

_"Oy! Who be grubbin' onto me?_" Metroplex barked indignantly.

_Woah, woah_

_Up, up, up,_

"Sorry, Metroplex!" Goldbug pulled herself up, grabbed a weary Trigger, and ran along the roof.

_Woah, woah,_

_Up, up, up._

"_Ach, bonnie lass, ye dunnae have time to be playin' games wit me!"_Metroplex exclaimed worriedly. _"That medic is right loose! I dunnae want to see your aft in the scrapheap!"_

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind!" Goldbug jumped onto the hood of the vehicle then hit the ground running.

_Up, up, up_

_Higher, higher_

Trigger held onto Goldbug's shoulder, and took a moment to stop wailing, and waved at the Autobot inside the white vehicle.

_Up, up, up_

_Heart's on fire_

Inside the slow-moving vehicle Hound gawked at the sudden appearance of the yellow femme.

_Up, up, up_

_Woah, woah_

Goldbug heard the bell ring, and paused a moment.

_Up, up, up_

_Geet ready or not 'cause here I come_

She kicked her tires into her heels, and used them as veritable skates, increasing her speed enough to get her really going as she weaved around the front building to cut through the newly re-built greenhouse.

_Dance, dance, dance_

_Have some fun_

654 321

_Get up get up_

_Geet up, up, up_

_Woah, woah_

_Up, up, up_

Goldbug was almost there. She disengaged her would-be skates, and ran up the steps, and through the door.

_Woah, woah_

_Up, up, up_

Still a hallway to traverse, but nothing Goldbug couldn't run in her sleep. She could hear Ratchet's bellowing voice in her head, and winced; this would not end well at all if that wasn't just her imagination yelling at her.

_Woah, woah._

Goldbug dove through the door, sliding face down on the floor.

_Up, up, up!_

Sideswipe stood up, and swiped each of his arms like a baseball Umpire, and exclaimed. "SAFE!"

The class applauded as Goldbug stood up, and brushed off her chassis, and legs. "I made it!" she cheered.

"OUT!" Prowl roared, standing in front of the class.

Goldbug gulped. If it wasn't Ratchet, it had to be the only bot in the city that would have the yellow femme behind bars.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Prowl drummed his fingers on the desk as a two-way screen on his desk blinked red Cybertronian letters. Irritation was written all over his face, mostly directed toward the skinny yellow femme sitting in the chair across the desk. He looked at her over the translucent screen, squinted one eye to express his aggravation then finally shut the screen off.

"Alright," Prowl opened the top drawer to his right, and removed a small red chip. "Go back to class." He tossed Goldbug the chip with an aggravated groan.

Goldbug took the chip, and rolled her light blue optics as any teenager in trouble does when they've been sentenced.

"Don't run, I've already informed Firestar of your tardiness." Prowl snapped as the young femme approached the door.

Goldbug let out a groan. "Great, like I'm not in _enough_ trouble, now I'm late _twice._" She started to leave when a thought struck her, and she stepped backward into the office once more.

"Did you forget something?" Prowl asked, logging Goldbug's incident in his computer.

Goldbug looked thoughtful, and folded her arms at the security bot. "Did you just say Firestar?" She asked, light blue optics scrutinizing the white mech from his red crest to his hands on the holographic keyboard on his desk.

The mech's fingers stopped typing, and his dark blue optics slowly rose to meet Goldbug's. He considered her demand then looked back at his screen, and continued the report that by now seemed routine since Goldbug had started at the academy.

"Répondez, s'il vous plaît." Goldbug folded her arms, and tapped one heeled foot. "Reagieren sie bitte." She flapped her hand at Prowl, who continued to be unresponsive.

Prowl paused his typing, and turned his head to raise both eyebrows at Goldbug in a somewhat surprised manner. "You're multi-lingual." He said then looked back at the translucent screen. "I wouldn't expect you would have downloaded more than language native to this planet."

Goldbug started. "Hey. I may be a lot of things, but you of all bots should no, lazy is not one of them." She approached security chief's desk, and leaned on it with one hand, the other balled on her hip. "I've also been commended on numerous occasions by a certain munitions specialist for my dogged determination, and unwillingness to give up when a troublesome subject presents itself."

"Meaning?" Only one optic ridge rose on the security bot's face this time, and he gave Goldbug the briefest of glances. Blue letters scrolled rapidly across the screen to keep up with the security bot's fingers.

Goldbug frowned. "Meaning, I want you to answer my question. Why report my tardiness to Firestar? Wouldn't it be pertinent to report it to Ratchet, seeing as he's the instructor?" smugness spread across her face.

"I'm surprised you listen so carefully to what I say." Prowl replied. Goldbug opened her mouth to rebuttle, but the police chief interrupted her. "And yes, it would be _pertinent_, as you so eloquently put it, if Ratchet were here. Seeing as he isn't, and Firestar has so graciously agreed to fill his role as instructor, I report your tardiness to her." Prowl gestured to a report pad beneath Goldbug's hand. "If you'll get off my work, and my desk, I have reports to file."

Goldbug shifted, releasing the captive report. "Ratchet isn't here?" she watched Prowl work, waiting for an answer. "Is he still on Moonbase One? I thought they would be back by now. Prowl, talk to me, did something happen? Is everything alright? Prowl!"

Prowl looked up with a bored look, looked straight into Goldbug's optics, and said in a placating voice. "Everything is fine. Now, I suggest you get back to the class you are already very late for, before I cite you for skipping."

Goldbug frowned, still not convinced everthing was as Prowl claimed. Not many bots would say Prowl showed much emotion, but the yellow femme had been around the police bot so many times that she had started to notice it. The subtle little facial ticks that showed a miniscule hint at what Prowl was feeling. Thought Prowl sat there, working as usual, ignoring Goldbug's continued presence. The slight shift in the settlement of Prowl's brow might as well have left him wringing his hands, and pacing worriedly.

Prowl looked up, his brows shifting upward, and for one brief moment Goldbug saw his worry, and stress come through. Something was happening. Something big, and as Goldbug left the office, she had a sickening feeling in the pit of her spark telling her that something big was going to get here, and when it did, nothing good would come of it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

People screamed, and ran for their lives, as the two Autonomous Cybertronian Organisms punched, kicked, and fired at each other above the humans' heads. One of the bots, a blue femme, crashed through the track of the kraken roller coaster ride of Sea World Orlando. "AA-OW!" She landed on her side, and gasped at the track beneath her. "Oh please don't let my luck be that bad." She looked up to see a car of screaming passengers rushing toward her location. The femme groaned, and struggled to stand. Her right side ground as gears stopped connecting, and she looked down to see part of the track protruding from her body, gears and wires sparking painfully around it. The passenger car grew closer, and the screams louder. The femme squeezed her optic casing shut, and covered her head with her arms, preparing for the inevitable impact.

"Amy!" A deep voice bellowed. A large, black mech leaped into the path of the roller coaster, and caught it with a resounding crunch before it could pummel the injured femme.

Amy gasped, and looked up whereupon she grinned with relief. "Ironhide! - oh my god, your arm!" She pointed to where the mech's arm was shifted somewhat painfully out of place by the impact of the fast-moving roller coaster.

"It's nothing!" Ironhide bellowed. "We have to get these people out of here." He reached up with his uninjured hand, and slammed it down on top of the car, causing the secure lock on the roller coaster restraining devices to break. the harness popped open, and Ironhide set the dangling people on the ground. "GO! Get out of here!" The people all scattered, running fast as their legs could carry them away from the giant robots.

Blackout jumped down from the top of the roller coaster, and made to attack Ironhide, but fire from across the park made the Decepticon turn, and roar at the yellow mech raining fire on him. Blackout jumped away as Ironhide swiped at him, and extended a spike ball and chain and started swinging.

Bumblebee gasped, and dodged the swinging mace-like weapon. It hit a maintenance building before Barricade turned, and swung it around, knocking one of Bumblebee's doorwings off as the yellow mech rolled to avoid the contact. Bumblebee groaned as his doorwing flew off, and skittered across the pavement into a statue of a whale.

"You never did have the bearings to stand and fight, Bumblebee!" Barricade laughed. "You're too soft!" He pulled his arm back to swing again.

Bumblebee grabbed a piece of a lamppost from the ground, and swung it to catch the metal chain of Barricade's weapon. The mace chain severed, and sent the ball flying away. Still holding the lamp post, Bumblebee slid beneath Barricade, and stabbed upward from a crouched position.

"Standing is one thing, Barricade!" Bumblebee twisted the lamp post. "I just prefer a different vantage point." He jerked the metal pole, and Barricade, fall with a gurgle to the ground.

The sound of crashing concrete and metal had Bumblebee turn to see Barricade's severed mace hit the base of Sky Tower. The yellow mech groaned. "Slaggit!" He sprinted toward the falling tower, and just managed to slow the tower's fall, but it was just barely too heavy for him as he strained to keep it aloft. "I could use some help over here!" He shouted as his feet slid along the bottom of the man-made lake.

By Shamu stadium, Chromia turned, and gasped. She ran toward the falling tower, and leaped into the lake below it. Up to her chassis in water, she caught the top-heavy tower as Bumblebee's strength faltered, and managed to keep it from splashing dangerously into the water below.

"Chromia!" Bumblebee's strained cry came. "Can you-?" he started to ask.

"I've got it!" Chromia inched toward shore, pulling the tower with her. "Protect the children!" She gestured with her head toward the stadium.

Bumblebee looked across the lake, but couldn't see much besides people running, and screaming. He turned back to Chromia, and saw Blackout making his way toward the femme. Bumblebee raised his right arm bearing a cannon on the end, and fired. Blackout was sent back one step then tried to recoil, but Bumblebee fired again, sending the black Decepticon reeling backward, tripping over his own heels over an arcade about to be crushed by his weight. A slew of people poured from the arcade, and ran in all directions to avoid being squashed. Bumblebee fired again, and Blackout fell backward onto the arcade building, wood and cement splintering in every direction.

Mikaela ran against the din, searching the crowds for four small children. She gasped when she saw two toddlers huddled together. "Tourniquet!" She waved her arms. "Tourniquet! Rawhide!" She ran over to where a white-haired boy held onto a red-head girl, both looking around in confusion.

The boy spotted Mikaela, and his nearly luminescent blue eyes widened.

"Rawhide! Tourniquet!" Mikaela crouched down next to the two children, and wrapped her arms around the pair. "I'm starting to think I'm more afraid than the both of you put together." She looked around in a panic then took a hand of each child, and stood up. "Come on."

Sam ran against the crowd toward the stadium, the last place he had seen Annabelle and Bebop. The Lennoxs had trusted Annabelle to their little excursion to Sea World while they took a second honeymoon, and Sam wasn't about to lost trust of the Major or his wife, by losing the daughter on the first day.

A familiar head of dark hair bobbed along behind a short railing, and Sam gasped. "BEBOP!" He called out, running toward the toddler he knew was an adolescent transformer in human disguise.

The body attached to the head toddled out from behind the railing, holding the hand of a little blonde girl who was rubbing her eyes red and puffy with previous tears. Bebop squawked when he saw Sam, and looked around before running across the asphalt toward the human twenty-something.

"Bwackout fall down!" Bebop giggled, clapping his little hands in amusement as Sam picked him and Annabelle up, and carried them awkwardly away from the running, screaming crowd.

"Y-yeah..." Sam gulped. "Right on the arcade." He frowned slightly.

Annabelle continued to rub her eye, and tugged Bebop's sleeve across Sam's chest.

"She gots dust in'er eyes." Bebop said, craning his neck to look up at Sam from where the human man had him tucked beneath his arm.

"Dust?" Sam started, and looked at Annabelle. "I thought she'd been crying or something."

Bebop turned, and screamed "He's getting up!" and pointed at Blackout as the Decepticon tried to get up, but Chromia trodded up, and kicked the helicopter mech across his head. The Decepticon fell back down, looking dazed, and on the verge of unconsciousness.

"And stay down." Chromia snorted at him with a triumphant smirk.

Vents on Bumblebee's chest expelled heat in rapid bursts similar to human panting in an attempt to cool his circuits. He looked around frantically for signs of his human friends, and spotted them crouched near the dilapidated arcade. Sure that things would quiet down considerably, Bumblebee walked over to where Sam was crouched over the two children, his right transforming back to an arm. "Sam, where are Rawhide and Tourniquet?" Bumblebee asked, looking around.

Sam shrugged, looking around. "I dunno, Mikaela went to find them, and that's the last I heard anything about them. You can't see them?" He asked.

Bumblebee shook his head. "No."

By the roller coaster, Amy failed to stand once again, and jerked at the track protruding from the right side of her body.

Ironhide reached down with one hand, and an annoyed frown.

"No wait, don't-aaaaooowww." Amy groaned as Ironhide jerked the piece of track from her side. "You," Her voice strained. "_Really_ need to warn me before doing stuff like that."

"Noted." Ironhide said as he draped one of the blue femme's arms around his neck, and pulled her up to a standing position.

The wires in Amy's side sparked for a minute before slowly reattaching themselves of their own accord. A perk of having the universe's most powerful energy in your head.

Ironhide watched Amy skeptically with his usual scowl on his faceplate. "You can heal yourself?"

"Heck yeah, and I can dance." Amy chuckled sarcastically. "I think I'll be alright now." She gently peeled herself away from Ironhide's support, which the black mech reluctantly relinquished.

Ironhide nodded then turned, and bellowed louder than what was possibly necessary, something in Cybertronian.

Bumblebee waved an arm from where he was approaching with Sam and Bebop from the arcade.

"Here!" Chromia called, climbing up out of the lake.

Bumblebee's pace increased when he saw Amy's slowly healing, oozing, wound, and worried over her, trying to cover up the wound. "You're injured. We have to do something."

"I'm fine. Bumblebee, really," Amy reached up, and grabbed the mech's head, turning it toward her. "I'm fine. It's healing. See?" She twisted, and looked down. "Already closed. Nothing to worry over." She kissed her finger then tapped the tip of Bumblebee's nose.

Bumblebee sighed then turned as Chromia approached.

"Ironhide!" Sam called up to the hulking black mech. "Mikaela went after Rawhide and Tourniqet, and I haven't seen them since!"

Ironhide glanced around then in a bellowing voice called out. "RAWHIDE!"

Only a few yards away, Mikaela turned in the direction of the black mech. The little red-haired girl with her jerked her hand from Mikaela's grasp, and disintegrated into thin air after a few steps away from the otherwise surprised woman.

"RAWHIIIDE!" Ironhide bellowed again.

Amy and Bumblebee squinted as Ironhide shouted again.

Amy placed one hand over the audio receptor nearest Ironhide. "I'm sure she heard you the first time."

As if on cue, a small femme with copper forearms, lower legs, and chassis and hip joint ran from the parking lot, crawled through a hole in the wall by the ticket counters, and hurried over to Ironhide, and grabbed his leg, standing on the mech's foot. "Got ya!" She exclaimed triumphantly in a small, femmy voice.

Ironhide looked down at the femme with a somewhat adoring raise of one optic ridge.

"There ya are." Chromia lifted the little femme off of Ironhide's foot, and onto her left hip. "We won't be losing this one again." She said matter-of-factly. "I aint' takin' my optics off 'er for an astro second."

Amy folded her arms, and sighed. "Great, so let's get a move on before the obvious giant robots standing in Sea World attract even _more_ attention than they did already." she scanned the dilapidated amusement park, and sighed. "Prime isn't going to like this."

"Not particularly, no." Bumblebee made a face that was his equivalent of a human pursing their lips. He transformed into his Camaro alt mode, and both doors opened for passengers.

Amy transformed into her blue Exige mode, and her pretender form stepped out of the driver's side as Bebop toddled up, and climbed into the back seat. "By the way!" she called up to Ironhide, who was hashing out transportation plans with his bondmate. He turned. "what prompted you to name your daughter Rawhide?" she shaded her eyes against the intense Florida sun.

Ironhide exchanged a smirk with Chromia, before bellowing out. "Move 'em on!

Chromia answered without missing a beat, still holding the femme on her hip. "Head 'em up!"

"Head 'em up!" Ironhide called.

"Move 'em on!" Chromia answered.

"Move 'em on!" Ironhide called.

"Head 'em up!" Chromia exclaimed.

The femme threw her hands in the air, and exclaimed with a jubilant giggle. "Rawhide!"

"Count 'em out!" Ironhide called.

"Ride 'em in!" Chromia half-chuckled.

"Ride 'em in!" Ironhide nodded.

"Count 'em out!" Chromia winked.

"Count 'em out!" Ironhide smiled.

"Ride 'em in!" Chromia exclaimed

The femme waved her hands in the air, cheering. "RAW-HIDE!"

Amy stared in amused disbelief, lowered her hand from her eyes, and climbed into the driver seat of her alt mode as she muttered with a sigh. "Why am I not surprised?"

-x-x-x-x-

Revamping ATJ 2, hoping to bring back my readers. I read it last night, and then realized it was FULL OF HOLES! So I'm putting PLACE and other fanfic projects on hold while I clean this one up, and isn't so much of a "throwing GACK in your face whilst singing an Irish jig" kind of thing.

Original comments:

So I was watching Transformers 2007 movie today, and when Ironhide did his spinny thing, and quoted Clint Eastwood from "Dirty Harry", I was like. "I have to do it."

Vincent: How do you know where that quote is from? O-o

Zex: . Shut up! I like westerns! DX


	2. Chapter 2

Refurbishing ATJ 2! WHEEE! Filling in pot holes, and "OMGWTF BBQNUUUU" moments, so hopefully they'll just be "OMGWTF" moments

~Zex

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

All That Jazz 2

Chapter 2

Goldbug faded in and out of recharge as Firestar lectured about the importance of petrol packs, and energon ointment. She let her optics dim for a moment, her optic casings closing silently. A few microns wouldn't hurt. She could still hear Firestar's voice, and ... understand ... the words ... Her chin slipped from its cradle in her palm, and fell unceremoniously with a loud -_BAM-, _which resonated through the classroom for a second or two, dragging all optics to the one seat in the relative center of the mass of students.

Goldbug quickly jerked her head up, her faceplate resonating slightly from hitting the desk in front of her. She glanced around, and could hear Sideswipe and Sunstreaker snickering. She raised her optics to the front of the room, and saw the red femme staring at her with a perturbed expression.

"Heh." Goldbug chuckled then gulped, and slouched in her seat, her optics meeting the desk. _I'll be lucky if I don't get held up after class...again_. She thought worriedly.

Upon dismissal, Goldbug hurriedly gathered her things, and tried to make it through the door with the mass of her classmates, wanting, if nothing else, this day to end, so she could try again tomorrow.

"Just a moment, Goldbug!" Firestar called out without looking up from a medical report from First Aid on her desk. "I need to speak to you."

Goldbug was only two meters from the door, her medical pack attached at her hip as adolescent mechs and femme swerved or shoved past her on their ways out.

"Oooooh," Sideswipe jeered as he passed, spinning to face Goldbug until he got to the door. "Somebody's in trou~ble." He sang, and stuck out his tongue at a glare the femme sent him.

Sunstreaker laughed with Sideswipe, and the two left Goldbug, their taunting voices still audible as they walked away down the hallway.

Trigger peeked out of the front pocket blearily, a steel gauze pad covering half its head. It made a yawning noise, it's great sharp-toothed maw opening wide. Seeing nothing of particular consequence, it fell back into the pack onto its nestled bed of steel wool balls, and gauze pads.

The yellow femme approached Firestar's desk, and rest her hands on the surface. "You wanted to see me?" She watched the screen Firestar had been concentrated on erase then looked at the red femme. "So, where's Ratchet?" She asked idly.

Firestar pouted slightly. "Don't try to change the subject, Goldbug. You were late today, again. I'm worried about your class participation. I can't pass you on until I'm assured you can demonstrate the skills necessary to the medical field, and you can't demonstrate said skills without participating in class."

Goldbug took on an indignant frown. "It's not my fault. If Prowl would stop pulling me out of class every time I have a moving violation, I would miss considerably less class."

"Prowl would do that, no matter who the offender." Firestar offered with what she hoped was a sympathetic smile. "Though it may be just me, but I would assume you wouldn't be pulled out of class if you stopped violating the perfectly reasonable laws set down to protect Autobot City. Just a thought."

Goldbug nodded. "Thanks." She said sarcastically. "But I can't help it. "I just wanna get through this whole Academy thing, and get on with my life. I don't get to have fun if I'm sitting around doing homework all the time."

Firestar sighed, and laced her hands on the top of her desk. "You know, it may not be my place, but not too long ago, I heard a quote that may help you get through 'this academy stuff' easier."

Goldbug looked up. "Yeah?" She perked up slightly.

Firestar nodded. "No sacrifice, no victory."

Goldbug folded her arms, and frowned. "Gee, that's promising." She muttered with a roll of her blue optics.

Firestar sighed, and stood up from her desk. "You'll survive. It only means you have to give if you expect to take. Studying for your classes doesn't have to take a long time."

Goldbug shifted indignantly. "That's not what everyone else says."

Firestar made a fleeting gesture with her hand, and headed for the door. "Goldbug," she hugged an arm around Goldbug's shoulders as they walked. "I know a lot about what you're going through, believe me."

"No way, you're calm and cool, Firstar." Goldbug snorted. "Nothing gets by you."

"On the contrary. With Ratchet gone, a great deal of responsibility has bee placed on my shoulders by default." Firestar said. "I have worked with Ratchet for my entire career, and everyone knows that, so they assume that whatever Ratchet can do" -

-"You can do better?" Goldbug grinned.

"Yes." Firestar nodded, stopping.

Goldbug's mouth hung open slightly. "But"- she shook here had. "But that's not fair! You aren't Ratchet, it isn't fair for anyone to put that kind of responsibility on your shoulders."

Firestar nodded. "And I have always thought the academy has a knack for being far too expectant of its students, so believe me when I say I know how you feel. I feel like I'm studying for exams all over again, just so when I get asked a question, I'm not caught with my proverbial pants down."

Goldbug chuckled.

Trigger fluttered up from Goldbug's pack, and hovered in front of Goldbug before head butting her with a squeaky 'hai-ya!'.

Firestar looked at Goldbug, Goldbug looked at Trigger, and Trigger made a giggling sound as it settled on Goldbug's head.

"Anyway, think about what I said, alright Goldbug?" Firestar smiled, and walked away down the hall.

Goldbug frowned slightly. Stupid Prowl, she thought then her expression softened. Prowl. She sighed, and walked away from the classroom toward her barracks. Of all the mechs who paid Goldbug so much attention, asking her out, or to get a drink, Prowl was the only mech who hadn't. The only mech Goldbug reeeally wanted to sit and have a drink, and talk with, but the only mech who also paid her absolutely no mind, or worry, or glanced at her in that way. She walked into her room, but didn't bat an eyelash at the twin armorless mech sitting on Goldbug's recharge station.

The yellow femme smiled wickedly. Where one mech paid her no mind, there were always two who couldn't keep their - albeit mischievous - servos off of her.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A veritable mob of damaged, tired, energon depleted bots stumbled into Autobot City's port after a six hour flight on _Air Chromia_, and a pit stop in Tranquility to drop of their human friends.

Rawhide tugged Ironhide's hand, pouting. "I need Energon." She said, rubbing her middle. "I'm all empty."

"Yeah, me too!" Bebop exclaimed up at Amy. "I need Energons, too!"

Tourniquet sat idly by, watching the two other youngbots whine. He looked at his middle, but didn't say anything about his needing sustenance as well.

Amy made a croaking sound then looked down to where Bebop was literally hanging from her arm. "Okay, honey, sweety, I knoooow. Mommy has a body ache from being skewered by a roller coaster, and your not really helping hanging from me like thaaat." She sang in a tired tone. "Go hang on Bumblebee, mommy's needs repairs."

"What?!" Bumblebee started as both sparklings grabbed onto each of his arms, and hung there begging for Energon. "I'm injured, too. Note, the missing door!" He moved his remaining door wing for emphasis. "I need repairs just like - like -"

"Give it up, kid." Ironhide shook his head as he lumbered past, his arms still at an awkward angle. "I'm goin' to the oil house."

"_Where_ do you think you're going, hmm?" Chromia grabbed Ironhide by his uninjured forearm, and pulled him along with her. "I need aligning after catching that tower thing, and you need repairs, too."

"Flesh wound." Ironhide said, but made no move to fight against his bondmate.

"Mech, please," Chromia snorted. "Your arm joints are now your shoulder joints, and your Energon sacks are swelling up with the pressure. Come on." She jerked him, and the black mech obeyed with a roll of his optics.

The two spark-lings continued to tug on Bumblebee, whining.

Amy pursed her lips, the whining beginning to grate on her nerves as well. "oooowhkaaay! Anyone still whining when I'm done talking is going straight to recharge without any Energon!" She exclaimed.

Bebop and Rawhide exchanged a glanced, but said nothing more as they both craned their necks to see Amy with mouths half open.

"Let go of me, and transform, both of you!" Bumblebee couldn't help the frustration in his voice.

Bebop transformed into a mini-coup, and sat quietly next to Bumblebee's left foot. Rawhide transformed into a copper-colored SUV.

Rawhide revved her engine impatiently

Tourniquet transformed into a white hummer with a red cross on the hood.

Bumblebee sighed, and looked at Amy with a relieved smile of sorts.

"You go get checked out. I'll watch the kids." Amy unfolded her arms, and hugged the yellow mech. "I'm glad you came with us today."

Bumblebee nodded. "The lieutenant did ask me to keep an optic on you. I was just doing my job, I suppose." He let his arms circle Amy, and reveled in the feel of her against him. There had been one night he had given into temptation, and slept with Amy in human pretender form. He felt guilty about it in some ways, but other ways it seemed to only bring the two closer together. Amy hugged Bumblebee more, kissed his cheeks, or his lips briefly - usually when she had something to be happy about.

"Oh!" Amy made an obstinate pout. "I don't need looking after. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much." She poked Bumblebee in the chest to emphasize her point. "You on the other hand, are missing a door, and it was you who, just a few minutes ago, was arguing that you needed repairing just as much as anyone, and you're right."

"Amy." Bumblebee started to protest feebly, and tried to look annoyed, but couldn't help the smile.

Amy shook her head, ready to cut short any protest the yellow mech had. "Not another word! You _do_ need fixing," She turned Bumblebee by the shoulders, and directed him toward the medical building. "so go get fixed, and we'll meet you in the commissary in the citadel, okay?"

"But, Amy, I-!" Bumblebee called after the femme.

"See you there!" Amy waved as she walked away from the mech. That was a close on, she thought. Bebop took one of Amy's hands as Rawhide marched in front of them, waving her arms.

"You walk too slow! I want Energon, I'm gonna fall down if I don't get it? What kinda motherspark are ya that let't lil' ol' me go hungry? I'm hungryyy!" Rawhide rambled as they walked at a fair pace toward the citadel.

Tourniquet walked alongside Amy, arms behind his back, looking much like his father, Ratchet - like he worked too hard, and didn't want anyone to know. The white fledgling looked at Amy's free hand, and then when he was sure none of the other bots on the street were paying any attention, he quickly grasped Amy's hand.

Amy glanced at the little white mech, and smiled a bit. Such a mama's boy, though the blue femme felt bad because Tourniquet always seemed to grab onto the wrong mama.

"Iiii'm hungry!" Rawhide announced to the mostly full room as they entered the commissary on the citadel's 3rd floor.

Amy sighed, and rolled her green optics skyward. "I heard you the first fifty times you said it. Now go grab a table, and I'll get you guys some energon." She gave Bebop's hand to Tourniquet, who quickly recoiled.

"oh, for primus's sakes!" Rawhide took Bebop's hand, and tromped away to find a table. "Move it or lose it, Tourniquet!"

Tourniquet looked mildly annoyed, and scratched his head before following the two fledgelings.

Amy watched them until they got to a table, Rawhide bullying her way onto a long bench near a group of startled mechs on the opposite side. they relaxed though, after Rawhide flashed them a wide, shining grin, and said something to the nearest blue mech that made him laugh. Amy sighed with relief, and made her way to the energon bar.

"Hey - oh." Amy's friendly smile quickly fell at the sight of the pink femme behind the counter. The femme made no effort to hide to _oh my god, not you again_ look that had her rolling her blue optics, and muttering an oath. "Hello, Arcee."

Arcee gave Amy a tight smile, and set out a few clear, pink cubes with a gelatin like substance wobbling inside them. "Hi." She clipped the end of the already short word then turned to get back to work.

Amy could see the pink femme was still significantly bitter no thanks to Amy. Arcee had been quite enamored with Jazz when Amy had first met her, and had even tried to turn Bumblebee and Jazz against each other (and Amy!) a few times by impersonating the still-human-at-the-time girl. Amy picked up the small energon cubes, and carried them over to the table.

"Okay guys, here's the - Hey, Rawhide! Don't torture poor Lazerbeak!" Amy set down the cubes, and pried a captive silver bird from Rawhide's grasp. The bird flew up to Amy's shoulder, and hid behind the fan on the ride side of her head. It peeked out at Rawhide, squawked then hid again. Amy shook her head. "Honestly, everytime I turn my back for one second, you've got some poor defenseless creature in hand. No wonder Static is afraid of you." She shook her head, and sat down, claiming one of the five cubes on the table.

Rawhide made an innocent face. "What? He said he liked cooking!" She shrugged, and grinned.

Amy shook her head. "He meant he likes _to_ cook, not _be_ cooked. You're lucky he's a robot, or you would have boiled him to _death_! He still won't go anywhere near the stove when there's a pot on it."

Rawhide just cackled.

Amy shook her head again, her lips pursed in a frown.

The blue mech next to Rawhide chuckled, a small glass of energon in his hand. "Got your servos swamped, eh Blazer?"

Amy looked up, somewhat used to her adopted Autobot name. "Uh, yeah." She glanced at Rawhide as the little femme slurped a cube, and made great show of making noise as if it proved her innocence. "Rawhide has quite the sense of humor for a three-year-old."

The blue mech laughed. "From what I've heard, she's straight off the big gun himself."

Amy nodded. "She's her father's daughter." the blue femme leaned forward, and said somewhat loudly to the little copper femme.

Rawhide just ducked her head, and pretended to not be listening by humming.

"If you ever need help, I wouldn't mind watching them for a few megacycles." He offered.

Amy gave him a curt smile. "Thanks, but I don't shirk my responsibilities." She said just before taking a sip of the energon in her hand. It had been too long of a day to deal with mechs hitting on her while Jazz is away. And I thought human men were shameless, Amy rolled her optics as she looked away.

The mech with him laughed. "Way to go, Mirage, crash and burn!"

Amy started. "Mirage?" She looked back at him with wide optics. "You're the guy that found Meister!" She exclaimed a little louder than she'd meant to. Unfortunately it was loud enough, and most of the commissary went quiet. The blue femme could feel optics on her, and she dared not look around, and meet any of them.

Mirage pursed his lips as he said. "Yes, that was me. I- uh - I'm sorry for you loss. I didn't know her, but she looked like she'd been through the scrapheap already. good soldier." He downed his drink quickly, and stood up. "Anyway, it was nice seeing you again. Take care." He excused himself, and was gone before Amy could engage him further in conversation.

Amy blinked as if it would clear up the situation, and turned back to the mechs Mirage had accompanied. "What did I say?"

"Good job, blabbermouth." Tourniquet muttered.

"Hush," Amy whispered to the little white mech, who raised his optic casing at Amy like, _yeah because I've always done everything you tell me. Not_, but kept his comments to himself. The blue femme looked back up at the mechs. "I'm sorry if I said something wrong." She glanced at the door then back to the group of what was starting to look like larger, and larger mechs. "You - you guys are really big." she said, pointing to them in a general sort of gesture.

One of them, a mech with light and dark green tones ,laughed. "No problem. Springer's the name, and these are my wreckers." He gestured to the group.

The mechs howled, and banged to table in a rowdy cheering way.

"Hi boys." Amy waved, Mirage momentarily forgotten.

Springer winked. "On my left is Broadside."

A gunmetal gray Autobot raised his cup up, and up, and up. Amy had to almost crane her neck backwards to see him, he was so tall. "Pleasure, Blazer is it?"

"Feel free to call me Amy." She waved a dismissive hand. "Blazer's just a nickname Ironhide came up with, long story."

Broadside nodded.

Springer waved a hand down the table. "Past him there's Sandstorm -"

"Recon's my job." Said a golden Autobot with a black head. "When the smoke clears, I've cleared out." He said with a wink.

Amy chuckled.

"-After him is Topspin - "Springer continued.

A mech with white torso, and blue arms and legs lowered his cup after downing the contents. "No mountain wide enough, and no river high." He said, slightly slurred.

Amy snorted. "Been at the oil a bit, Topspin?"

The mech next to him hooked an arm around Topspin's neck, looking as drunk as Topspin himself. "Don't mind my brother, he's a drunk, but he's a useful drunk."

"-Don't believe him, whatever you do, Blazer." Springer winked. "War is wherever Twin Twist wants it to be." He leaned over a bit to add discreetly. "Between you and me, us wreckers are going a bit mushy in the porcessors with no 'Cons around t' fight."

Amy gave him a sympathetic look, but said nothing. I like no war, Amy thought as Springer continued to introduce his men

"Bug red guy by Twin Twist is Roadbuster. He doesn't say much off the battle field, and he drunker n' all of us put together." Springer laughed.

Behind his green visor, Roadbuster seemed to be eyeing Amy with what was supposedly an oil-induced stupor.

"I'm known as Whirl, and I am not drunk." He said, drinking his Energon, and shaking his indigo blue head. "My fellow wreckers can come off as somewhat mad at times, I do apologize."

Amy giggled. "No apology necessary, Whirl. It's been a pleasure."

Whirl glanced at his fellow wreckers than said somewhat confidentially. "If used logically, madness often makes a great weapon." He nodded. Springer threw the remainder of his drink of Whirl, which the bot dodged.

"Last, but not least is little Scoop. I say little because he's the niniest, mightiest wrecker of them all." Springer laughed.

"Heeey!" Scoop, a gold and bronze bot just barely bigger than Amy took a swipe at Springer then nodded to Amy from where he sat mere inches away from her. "Nice to meetcha anyway, Blazer. I hear your name around a lot." he smirked, and chuckled slightly.

Amy's smile fell instantly. "I guess that makes you a perfect gentlemech." An optic ridge raised on the femme's face.

The wreckers all 'ohhh' , jeering their comrade for his remark.

"Watch yourself, Scoop." Broadside's deep voice bellowed as he chuckled.

"Whatever. Femme wouldn't know good metal if she was bangin' it." Scoop muttered.

"Woah." Springer laughed, holding up his hands. "Scoop."

"KAHGH!" Scoop clutched his jaw as result of a snapping sound. "MAH HAW HEARS!" He shouted inconherently.

Amy sighed, and innocently sipped from her cube. Wasn't me, she thought with a mental maniacal laugh. That'll teach him to talk to me that way. She looked toward the door as the wreckers teased Scoop.

Goldbug walked in, looked to the bellowing laughter, saw her mother, and grinned at the femme with a wave as she ran over. The yellow femme looked at Scoop cradling his jaw, and the wreckers laughing at him. "Ah. Business as usual, I see." She shook her head. "Hey mom," She turned to Amy. "I see you've met the resident mech heads."

Various half-hearted protests rose up from the wreckers.

"Oh harsh, Goldie."

"You're killin' us, 'Bug."

Roadbuster glanced up among the din, and muttered. "Bah."

"Joking, you know it." Goldbug winked at Springer then looked back at Amy. "Haven't seen you in a while, mom - OMIGAWD, BEBOP!" She squealed, changing subjects quickly as she picked up, and cuddled her giggling little brother.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Been busy, y'know, raising a baby." Amy said, and downed he rest of her gelatinous drink. "Been meaning to come out here more often and visit you, honey. How's school going?"

Goldbug managed a squealing response through hugging Bebop to her face. "It's been okaaaay - oh I missed you soooo much, Beebeeboo! I love you so much!"

Springer almost choked on his drink. "Did she just say-?"

"You repeat that, and I'll knock your block off." Goldbug cooed at Bebop, though she was obviously speaking to Springer.

Springer held up his hands in surrender.

"Givin' up before a fight, boss?" Twintwist snorted.

Springer stood up. "I don't have 'beaten by a doll' on my list of this to do." He glanced at Goldbug as she stomped up to him, and poked him hard in the side.

Amy started. "Goldbug, what was that for?"

"Yeah, what _was_ that for?" Springer eyed Goldbug. "Doll or not, don't go-!"

Goldbug slapped a hand over Springer's mouth, and narrowed her blue optics. "Shut. Up. Springer." Her optics showed an interesting display of emotion, causing them to widen and narrow in turn.

"Dating?" Amy asked, smiling at her daughter.

Goldbug turned and gave Amy mean optics. "No."

"Oh, so why does he call you doll then? It's a very sweet name for a mech you're not dating to be calling you." Amy raised an optic ridge, and half-smiled.

Goldbug looked speechless, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"You say 'beaten by a doll', like it's never happened before!" Twin Twist laughed. "Hey Blazer, here's an anecdote about our boy here. He's gotten beaten up by so many femmes, we start takin' bets and sellin' tickets everytime boss here has a date!"

Howls of laughter erupted from the table, even Roadbuster's shoulders shaking with silent chuckling.

"Poor thing." Amy said dismissively as Tourniquet started sliding under the table, a sure sign the little mech was getting bored. She reached her hands under the table, and pulled Tourniquet up onto her lap, and held him there, which the little mech didn't seem to mind.

"Oh hey, mom," Goldbug said, taking her hand from Springer's mouth, and changing the subject quickly. "did dad ever tell you where he was off to?"

"Yes." Amy growled. "One of Cybertron's moons, god dammit! While he was on the tarmac. You were standing right there when he turns to me, and says, 'Oh, by th' way, baby, ah'm goin' t' Cybehtron's moon'." Then leaves.

Goldbug laughed. "Is that your impression of daddy, seriously?" She clapped her hands, and joined the wreckers in laughter.

"Yes, seriously. And after going out with him for three years, I don't like surprises." She narrowed her optics.

The wreckers laughed.

Amy chuckled a little. "No, you guys ever do that?" she gestured to the mechs. "Like, you know, your girlfriend gets mad when you go off on some mission, so you think 'I'll tell her when I'm on my way to the tarmac, this way she won't have any time to get upset'. HAHAHAHA!" Her laugh was made derisively, but didn't last long, and she quickly narrowed her eyes, pursed her lips, and shook her head. It only elicited more laughter from the wreckers, and poor Springer had to sit down before he fell down.

"That's Jazz!" Broadside whooped.

Amy sighed. "I'll have a few words for him next time the team checks in with the citadel."

Goldbug snorted. "Like you know." She folded her arms, but when the table grew eerily silent, her sure-of-herself smile faded, and she looked at Amy. "Do you?"

Amy leaned on her elbows, her shoulders raising to almost the fins on the side of her head. "Not really, but whenever they _do_ check in, I always manage to be within the vicinity, and threaten to rip Ultra Magnus a new one if I can't talk to Jazz."

More laughter, and a stunned look from Goldbug.

"Not really." Amy grinned. "Of course they tell me. That my husband-to-be up there." She shifted indignantly. "Gimme a little more credit than that, kiddo."

Goldbug snorted again, only in an attempt to not outright laugh at her mother's musings. "husband-to-be? Yeah, right mom. What about Bumblebee?"

Both optic ridges rose at her daughter's comment. "What about him?"

Goldbug exchanged a look with Springer that spoke volumes. "Nothing." She checked a non-existent watch on her wrist, tapped it, and stammered a bit. "Ah-ooh - look at the time. I-uh-I gotta go. It was-um-nice talkin' to ya mom. I'll, uh, see ya." Goldbug set Bebop down on Springer's lap, and hurried away.

Amy, once again stunned by a bot's quick exit from her vicinity, turned, and looked at Springer. "What did I _say_?" She blinked, and shook her head.

"Mine!" Bebop reached for the cup in front of Springer, knocking it over, though there was nothing in it. "Uh oh." He gasped, both hands covering his mouth.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"You're all done." Firestar said to Bumblebee, who was pulling himself out of a comfortable stasis nap. She gently shook the mech's shoulder to help him awake.

"That's it?" Bumblebee yawned, and stretched as he sat up on the edge of the repair berth. "You're fast, doc."

Firestar shifted as she set her tools into a cleaning tray. "Well, it would have taken longer if a team had to go searching for your missing door. That was a smart grab."

Bumblebee nodded. "Ironhide grabbed it, actually. I forgot about it." He shifted his legs then hopped off the berth. "So, I'll be going then."

Firestar almost didn't stop him, but there was something nagging at the back of her mind that she just had to discuss with the mech. "Wait a moment, Bumblebee." she held out a hand to stop him.

Bumblebee paused, turned, and gave Firestar a hesitant look. "Yeees?"

Firestar chewed her lower lip idly then spoke. "There's something that's been bothering me lately."

Bumblebee sighed, walked back to the berth, and pulled himself back up onto it. "Specifically?"

Firestar rubbed her arms nervously. "The team on the moonbase. They haven't checked in for some time. I overheard Prime say to Prowl that the regular appointed check-in passed, and the report is overdue." She couldn't help the worry in her voice. "Do you think something has happened?"

Bumblebee wanted to tell her no, that the news didn't worry him, or raise any red flags, but he just hung his head. "I can't say."

"Do you know something, Bumblebee?" Firestar gasped, hurrying to stand before the mech, wringing her hands worriedly.

Bumblebee shook his head. "No, what I mean is," He lifted his head. "I don't know _what_ I would say to something like that. Lieutenant Colonel Jazz is up there, and Amy is being so patient waiting for him."

Firestar nodded slowly, and said "But?"

"But...nothing." Bumblebee rubbed the back of his neck, and gently pushed Firestar back as he jumped off the edge of the table. "I'm not going to tell you nothing is wrong, but I also refuse to give you false hope. I don't want anything to happen to the moonbase team, but all bots know the occupational hazards of being a soldier in a war to save our race, and homeworld."

Firestar looked at the mech then hung her head, and nodded slowly. "Of course." she said dejectedly. "I'm sorry to press this issue, Bumblebee. I honestly don't mean to set any kind of burden on you."

Bumblebee shook his head. "It's not burden, Firestar. I understand your concerns."

Firestar looked up with a forced smile. "You may be prepared for something drastic happening. It's no secret Jazz hinted to you that he wouldn't be coming back, but remember. Amy isn't ready. She never will be. If we do get the news, you need to be there for her, no matter what."

Bumblebee nodded. "That's a guarantee."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

After so much excitement in the commissary, Amy put the sparklings to sleep in a side room bearing recharge berths off the medical wing. She sat stroking Bebop's brow when the door behind her opened, and Bumblebee stood silently for a moment before smiling, and walking in.

"Hey, you got two wings again." Amy whispered, pointing to the mech.

"Wings? Where?" Bumblebee turned to look over his shoulder, and turned completely around once. "Well for spark's sake." He looked at Amy. "Kidding."

Amy shook her head. "Crazy." She chuckled as the yellow mech approached.

"Ahh, soothing the savage beasts." Bumblebee hugged his arms around Amy from behind, and leaned down until his chin rested on the femme's shoulder. "Careful, don't get them near espresso dark chocolate bars. They'll have the whole city under siege."

Amy stifled her laughter. "Shhh." she playfully smacked one yellow arm around her shoulders. "Wake them, and they'll take the whole planet hostage." She stood, turned, and hugged the yellow mech, and kissed his cheek. "Watch them for a few. I'm going to see Firestar, and make sure I'm as okay as I think I am." She pulled her head a bit away from Bumblebee's to look at him.

Bumblebee looked thoughtful for a moment, and said. "Nah, I think I'll go slum the oil bar instead." and jokingly made to leave. "Still kidding." He turned, and smiled at her. "of course I will."

Amy walked to the door as Bumblebee took her place next to the large berth the three sparklings had squished themselves onto in a small pile of limbs. At the door, Amy turned. "Bumblebee."

The yellow mech looked at the femme. "Yeah?"

Amy hesitated then asked. "Is Goldbug seeing Springer?" She leaned on the doorway.

Bumblebee looked startled. "Springer? Not that I know of." He chuckled. "Why do you ask?" He narrowed one optic.

"Well, he called her doll." Amy explained.

Bumblebee coughed on his reply, his optics growing wider than Amy would have expected. "He said _doll_? Are you sure he was referring to Goldbug?"

Amy sighed. "Well I don't remember his words verbatim, but Goldbug was calling Bebop cutsie little names, and I think Springer was about to tease Goldbug, but she cut him off, saying she'd knock his block off. The wreckers laughed, and Springer made the comment that he wasn't gonna get beat up by his doll over it. Again, not verbatim."

Bumblebee looked thoughtful, if not slightly worried. "I'm not really in the social loop anymore, but did he say _his_ doll, or _a _doll?" He asked, trying to pick his words carefully.

Amy's optic ridges narrowed slightly then she folded her arms loosely. "Not that you mention it, he said _a doll_." On green optic squinted. "Does that mean something to Cybertronians? I thought it was just a pet name."

Bumblebee looked nervous now as he quietly stood up, and walked to the door. He'd had his suspicions about Goldbug, but this just unfortunately confirmed them.

Amy protested quietly as Bumblebee pushed her out the door, wondering what all the fuss was about. What was the big deal about Springer and Goldbug, not that Amy cared. She liked it when Goldbug had dates, she should have dates. Goldbug had been so slumpy since Meister...well, so was Amy- Inconsolable for almost the entire year since.

"Amy, I this is going to come as a shock to you, but I think your daughter is a doll." Bumblebee said.

Amy started out of her thoughts. "Oh. Well, that's sweet. I think she's great, too, but"-

"No, that's not what I mean. She is great, but"- Bumblebee took what sounded like a deep breath. "I mean, Goldbug is the Cybertronian equivalent of a prostitute." The last bit he said quietly so as not to attract the attention from the lack of people around.

It took a moment for the knowledge to sink in before Amy's optics slowly grew wide as plasma shells, and shrieked. "WHAT?!"

Bumblebee made attempts to calm Amy, but the femme was already storming away from him in a huff. "Amy, where are you going?" He called after her.

"To find Goldbug!" Amy spat back to him. "Watch the kids!" She roared as she turned a corner out of sight.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

High above Cybertron, its two moons orbit slowly, unhurried, calm amongst the stars. With their orbit, and a few handy super-magnified scopes care of Preceptor, monitoring the Decepticons was an easier task for those stationed at the _watching posts_.

At the eastern post, Moonracer and Cliffjumper rotated shifts at 15 megacycle (about 15 hour) intervals."

"Unbelievable." Moonracer grimaced, sitting back away from the scope. "I didn't know Vector Sigma had the power to transport _this_ far." Moonracer looked at the red mech who very much resembled Bumblebee back on Earth, which made Moonracer think of Amy, and the odd couple she and the yellow mech made.

Cliffjumper chuckled, making notes as he watched the screens feeding readouts of varying power levels of the planet below. "Neitehr did I." He glanced at the mint-green femme. "Then again, we could be dealing with _not_ Vector Sigma."

Moonracer tilted her head right, and pursed her mouth. her blue optics glanced at the scope then at Cliffjumper. "what do you mean by _not_ Vector Sigma? How else could the Decepticons be amassing so much Energon?"

Cliffjumper gave an indifferent shrug as he continued his work. "Don't know, could just be underestimating Blazer's power."

Moonracer raised an optic ridge. "Why don't you ever call her Amy? Everyone else does."

Cliffjumper made a small huffing sound. "Because, believe it or not, I respect Bumblebee's claim to her."

Moonracer folded her arms, and made mean optics at the mech. "As if she's a prize, or something?"

"No!" Cliffjumper exclaimed. "I didn't mean it that way!"

Moonracer shook her head. "Mechs."

Cliffjumper rolled his blue optics then looked back at the screens.

-_Moonracer! Come in! Report to shuttle pad four!-_ Brawn exclaimed rather gruffly over the base-wide comm.

Moonracer looked at Cliffjumper. "What am I, in trouble?" she shrugged, and moved away from the scope. "Have fun!" She called back as the red mech took her place. She turned the corner, and almost literally walked into a blue mech named Tracks.

"Woah, watch it there." Tracks laughed.

"He's all yours." Moonracer glanced at Cliffjumper

Tracks grinned, and proclaimed melodramatically. "Just what I've always wanted! A minibot of my very own!"

"Whadju say?!" Cliffjumper's voice echoed around the corner.

The comm. shrieked to life again, and a faint - sorry!- was heard before Ratchet's voice sighed. -Moonracer, you are comm. silent. Please reactivate. Thank you-

Oh yeah, Moonracer thought, and reactivated her internal comm. She could hear Tracks's and Cliffjumper's laughter trailing behind her, and pretended it wasn't directed at her.

In an off control room, Jazz manned the security panels, each screen above him showing the various scopes orbiting Cybertron, not unlike the scopes being used on Moonbase One to spy on Decepticon activity.

"Notheh day, notheh Decepticon." Jazz smirked as he watched the Decepticons on one screen, and shook his head as they started squabbling. Again. A small holograph on constant replay depicted Amy, Bebop and Goldbug all in pretender form, making stupid faces at the camera. It was a beach setting - the last vacation they had taken together before Goldbug started at the academy campus in Autobot City. Bebop would turn four this year, a big step for a little bot. Jazz couldn't wait for his scheduled check-in, which had already been delayed because of a freak meteor shower, and electrical storm, and blatant interference run by Shockwave during some kind of weapons test.

A smaller screen to Jazz's right flared to life with Ultra Magnus's face. "Jazz, I need you to come down to the loading pad. We need an extra pair of servos. Can you spare any?"

Jazz nodded. "Sure, Magnus, ah be there." He gave a little salute, and trotted off toward the outside tarmac. He put his scopes on automatic to record anything that snuck by while he was away, and almost skipped out into the corridor. After the shuttle launch, they finally had clear skies to make the call to Earth. "Can't wait t' see mah babay!" He sang quietly.

"What's that about your baby?" Moonracer teased, having dodged Jazz as he came bounding out.

Jazz laughed. "Ah hey, 'Raceh, what's crackin'? Wher' you off to?"

"Landing pad. Something about radio silence. I guess someone needs to talk to me." Moonracer waved a dismissive hand. "Don't see me runnin' to get there, though."

"Yeh, yeh, ah undehstand." Jazz nodded. "But ah'm too stoked to let anythin' get me down, ya dig?"

Moonracer chuckled. "I did, lieutenant."

Jazz faced backwards, and half hopped, half walked in front of the mint--green femme. "That's lieutenant colonel. Got mahself a promotion comin' heah."

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Moonracer said sarcastically. "By the way, why did you come? You have a bigger family than I ever would've put past you. Especially with that little bot baby to feed, I'da stayed behind."

"Yeah, but Powehglide can take care o' Air." Jazz said with a smile. "Jus' like mah girl can take ah herself, an' Bebop. Any 'cons get within five parsecs ah her, or Earth, we wont' be hearin' from those cons no mo'."

Moonracer laughed. "Amy's power is interesting to say the least." She said as they stepped out onto the tarmac. "I mean, to inflict complete flawless repairs on the city, and every bot in it with only a bright white light, and prayers. heh. I wish I could do that to clean my barracks."

Jazz laughed. "I hear that!" He bumped fists with the short femme.

"Hey mechheads!" Moonracer waved as she approached the mechs loading a shuttle with large crates. "What's in the crates?" She pointed to one curiously, but received no immediate answer.

Brawn, a mech who rivaled the size of Ironhide, glared over one shoulder at Moonracer with a lazy optic. "Nothin' yet. We're going to Earth to re-supply. We'll be back in a solar cycle or two." he continued to talk as he entered the shuttle, but nothing Moonracer could hear from where she stood.

"A'ight, a'ight ah go witcha." Jazz joked, examining his hands.

"Funny." Ratchet said dryly as he passed the lieutenant with a crate. "Actually, Lieutenant you'll be in charge here while we're gone. Moonracer, however, _is_ coming." He looked at the femme. "If you like."

Moonracer nodded slowly. "Yeaaah, but," she looked at Jazz. "Does Amy even know where you are? Last I heard on Earth, she was still in the dark."

Jazz scratched his head. "Yeh, ah told 'er at th' last minute. She rip me a new one n' then ah had to go."

Moonracer shook her head. "Mechs never learn." She narrowed her optics at him. "She did forgive you of course, didn't she?"

Jazz nodded. "Yeh, mah girl couldn' stay mad at me fo' long. She forgave me th' first call I made back t' Earth."

"By the way," Ratchet said. "At this very moment, Ultra Magnus is trying to establish contact with Earth, but it seems Shockwave is still running interference."

Jazz's spark dropped to his feet, and he gave the C.M.O. a good, long-suffering look of disappointment. "You jokin'."

"I'm afraid not." Ultra Magnus walked up behind the group, and patted Jazz on the shoulder. "I apologize, sub-commander, but if you can manage to break through the interference, you can talk to whoever you like. At this rate, they'll just be glad to know somebot up here is still active."

Jazz mulled that over with a resounding, mental YES! "Ahm on that, boss mech." He slowly sidled away then bolted for the door, and was gone.

Ultra Magnus smiled, and shook his head then turned, and looked at Moonracer. "Moonracer, I'm putting you in charge of pre-launch checks. I need everything double checked, and we have a small window, so get on it."

"Sir!" Moonracer grinned, and headed for the shuttle. She felt bad for Jazz, but he seemed okay with the slight hope that he could break the interference and talk to Amy all he wanted. At this rate, Moonracer thought, I'll see Air by this time next solar cycle!

"'Ey Moonraceh, ho'd up!" Jazz called, running out onto the tarmac with a silver disc in one hand. "Here." He held out the disc to the mint-green femme with a smile. "Make sure Amy gets that."

Moonracer looked at the disc, with a raised optic ridge. "Ooh, a love letter for your love?" She teased.

Jazz shrugged. "Yeh. Kinda. Mind getting' it to 'er?"

Moonracer carefully inserted the disc into a niche on her armor. "Not at all. Consider it delivered."

Ratchet walked past, and up the ramp into the shuttle, followed by Ultra Magnus.

"Fifteen microcycles, Moonracer," Ultra Magnus said as he passed. "I need that pre-launch check, or well miss our orbital window." Her gestured Moonracer to follow, and the femme nodded.

"I hear you, Magnus." Moonracer waved. She turned briefly back to Jazz, and smiled. "I'll get your disc to Amy, don't worry."

"Yeh, an' ah can see it now. Mah girl comes on screen, grinnin', an' then Bebop climbs up, and gets in 'er face. Then Triggeh come in with somethin', and Ah'll end up talkin' t' Gold'bug fo' a good hour, or somethin'." He laughed. "Not that ah'm complainin'."

"Aww." Moonracer cooed. "That's so sweet. I'm sure that'll happen, and you'll see your whole family, lieutenant." She looked to the shuttle as Ultra Magnus called out again.

"Ya betteh go 'fore Magnus has your aft fo' not gettin' the check done." He tease.

Moonracer playfully slapped the silver mech's shoulder, and turned. "See ya, Jazz!"

Brawn stuck his head out the hatch, and bellowed. "Moonracer, you-!"

"I know, I know," Moonracer patted Brawn's cheek as she passed. "I hear you."

Brawn's right optic ticked as he watched the short femme then briefly looked at the lone silver mech on the tarmac. "Hold down the fort, kid!"

Jazz waved.

-_All personnel, clear the air field. Jazz, this means you -_ Cliffjumper's voice said over the P.A.

Jazz turned with a laugh, and jogged into the confines of the main terminal.

**_-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-_**

So yeah, complete overhaul of the second chapter.

:D

Zex


	3. Chapter 3

Refurbishing ATJ 2! WHEEE! Filling in pot holes, and "OMGWTF BBQNUUUU" moments, so hopefully they'll just be "OMGWTF" moments

~Zex

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Rewrite of All That Jazz 2. Hoping to attract my readers back, and fill in all those hopeless, empty plot holes.

~Zex

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

All That Jazz 2: Rewrite

Chapter 3

The shuttle's engines rumbled, and gleamed in the reflective lense on Buzzsaw's head. The bird-like recon bot retracted the lens, and took off toward Cybertron.

Gathered in Shockwave's Tower, Galvatron - now Galvatron - and his cohorts planned and schemed over the Autobots' moonbase. It was no secret the goody-goody robots had taken up refuge there, but they had early warning systems, and spy satellites that made it difficult for the otherwise cunning Decepticon leader to attack them.

The door to the main command bridge of the tower opened, and Buzzsaw flew in.

Shockwave looked up with his single red optic to see the bot first. "Buzzsaw returns, lord Galvatron." He said with a slight Praxis accent.

"Ah, good." Galvatron crooned as Buzzsaw landed on the console in front of the Decepticon leader. The metal bird made a small bow to the mech. "Welcome, Buzzsaw, play back what you've found for us."

The black bird turned, and plugged its beak into a niche in the console, and the screen flared to life with the images of the Autobots loading the shuttles.

**_-Nothin' yet. We're going to Earth to re-supply. We'll be back in a solar cycle or two.- Brawn's gruff voice said as the feed zoomed in on several crates sitting around the tarmac._**

Galvatron exchanged a glance with Shockwave.

**_"A'ight, a'ight ah go witcha." The silver mech laughed._**

**_"Funny." Ratchet said dryly as he passed the lieutenant with a crate. "Actually, Lieutenant you'll be in charge here while we're gone. Moonracer, however, is coming." He looked at the femme. "If you like."_**

"So," Galvatron rumbled as the playback continued. "The Autobots think they can just go and refuel without a care in the world." He clenched and unclenched his long-fingered claw-like hand as he thought.

"And!" Starscream interjected. "They've left their little silver lieutenant-colonel in charge with few soldiers. We should attack now, oh mighty Galvatron!"

"You're an idiot, Starscream," Galvatron growled at the gray jet mech. "We can take their shuttle easier than the moonbase." He clutched his hand closed.

Starscream gulped and nodded. "Yes, of course lord Galvatron." He said, though he glared, and muttered under his breath when Galvatron turned away.

"What about the femme, sire?" Shockwave asked. The screens switched, and a blue femme playing with her children skipped and laughed silently across the screen. "Seeing as she foiled your plans to take Autobot City last time, I wonder if you plan to do anything about her."

Galvatron considered what his second-in-command said. "What are your thoughts, Shockwave?" He asked with a snarl, and a glare of his red optics.

"My lord, even if we do slip by Autobot City's early warnings in the shuttle, once the femme gets word of our hostile take-over, she will defend the city." Shockwave made a little bow to his leader. "Not that you aren't capable of defeating one femme, but the rumors are, lord, that she wields the power of Vector Sigma."

Galvatron didn't look as fazed as his voice sounded when he spoke. "Vector Sigma?" His eyes widened then narrowed thoughtfully. "We could use this to our advantage." He walked to a console near him, and commanded to it. "Computer, fashion for me an RPG shell, high-explosive, tuned to the frequency of VS-T3X119."

Shockwave started. "My lord?"

Galvatron smirked. "That femme's power is tuned to a specific part of Vector Sigma. With this, we can fight her, and her power. All weapons will be tuned to this frequency, and then her power will be useless."

Shockwave and the other Decepticons in the room all cheered. "Hail, Lord Megatron!"

"Rally all troops. We attack the shuttle, and then Autobot City will be ours!" Galvatron bellowed.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Moonracer sighed, hands resting on the keys of her console, but not moving. There was nothing to scan, or adjust so she pulled her hands away. "This is actually kinda boring." She turned her seat back and forth, swiveling in an attempt to amuse herself.

Ultra Magnus's chuckle rumbled next to Moonracer. "The consoles can take care of themselves. Why don't you go on, and take a break. We're on autopilot until we reach our hyperdrive coordinates."

Mooonracer nodded. She stood with intent to leave, and almost knocked her head on a black mech walking just behind her at that second.

"Woah there." He did a turn to avoid colliding with the small femme.

"Hot Shot?" Moonracer gasped. "I didn't know you were here." She folded her arms, and smirked. "You're not much of a desk job bot, are you?"

Hot Shot turned after taking his seat at the navigation panel. "I pop in and out of all kinds of places."

Next to him, Smokescreen - a veritable red and black twin to Jazz - laughed, and made snort-like sounds. "I could name a few places for ya, Hot Shot."

"Hm." Moonracer shrugged, and walked off of the bridge. The shuttle, as small as it was, made for running into to crew often, and in strange places.

"Piece o' slag shuttle. What is it with us finding all the antiques, and thinkin' we can treat 'em like new." Brawn muttered as he dug in a tool box to find something to fit into the panel he had popped off the wall. He glanced in Moonracer's direction, and gave an acknowledging nod.

"Need a hand?" Moonracer held up her palms toward the brown and green mech. "I got two."

Brawn shook his head without looking away from the panel, made a sucking sound as a small piece of metal similar to a toothpick shifted in circles as he ground it between his Cybertron teeth. "Ask Ratchet." He growled through his clenched jowels.

Moonracer nodded. She clasped her hands behind her back as she slowly walked down the hall, and ito the third door on the left. She dodged a wrench, and the tool hit the wall behind her, and stuck like a dart in a corkboard. She stared at the wrench distended from the surface behind her then turned wide blue optics to the chief medical offier standing by his console.

"Am I interrupting something?" Moonracer straightened up, hands moving away from her head.

Ratchet turned quickly to the femme with a surprised expression. "Moonracer!" He gasped. His expression hardened a bit. "Did I hit you with that?"

Moonracer shook her head. "Almost."

"Oh," Ratchet's optics shifted, somewhat guiltily. "I apologize. It's just these slagging systems!" He slammed a fist into the screen, not out of mere frustration, but to clear it, and clear it did with a mechanical squawk.

Moonracer nodded. "Antiques."

Ratchet made a _tell me about_ kind of gesture with his head, and a roll of his optics.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Ratchet glanced at Moonracer again.

"Sorry." Ratchet muttered then looked back at the console as it fizzed out. "Slag!" He punched the console itself, and the computer shut down for a moment the flared to life.

Moonracer shook her head. "That's alright." She grabbed the wrench to pluck it from the wall, but it wouldn't budge. She grasped it in both hands, and pulled hard, her joints groaning until she stumbled backward as the wrench popped out of the wall with a scraping sound. She sighed triumphantly, shook her head, and wished the doctor didn't have such a short temper. No wonder his patients were always complaining about him. She wondered how many unfortunate help-seekers had gotten hit by the wrench - or whatever other tools Ratchet saw fit to sling when frustrated.

"For spark's sake!" Ratchet growled at the computer. "Work! For five microns!" He slammed his fist into the console again, and it flickered to life once more. "Finally."

Moonracer clutched the wrench in both hands, watching the doctor with a startled expression then held it out to him. "Here. I got it out for you."

Ratchet nodded to a tray near him. "Just set it there is fine." The screen fizzed, and crashed to snow. "Scrap computer!" He raised his arm to punch the screen.

"Doctor, please!" Moonracer grabbed Ratchet's arm. The C.M.O. shot the mint-green femme an outraged glare. "I'm all for blowing malfunctioning systems to scrap, but I'm pretty sure we need this shuttle _and_ it's systems intact, no matter how antique it is, it's all we have."

Ratchet glanced at the femme, gently jerking his arm to test if the femme would release it.

"It's not all bad." Moon racer calmly, and slowly released Ratchet's arm, and the C.M.O. let it fall to his side. "Probably just hasn't been cleaned in a while."

"And I suppose I'm the bot to do it." Ratchet grumbled as he walked to a wall screen, and started messing with _it_ to get the information he wanted.

"Not necessarily." Moonracer glanced curiously at the screen. "What are you trying to do that's making you so frustrated?"

Ratchet glanced at Moonracer. "I'm trying to get the subspace communications network synced. Obviously, I'm having some difficulty.

"Doesn't sound so difficult." Moonracer waved a hand, and walked to the console, needing to be helpful in some way to the C.M.O. Better than sitting on the bridge doing nothing. "Did you find the subspace network router modules?"

"Of course." Ratchet said dryly.

"Then it's a simple matter of utilizing the open ports, and use the feedback to correlate the systems." Moonracer grinned.

Ratchet raised an optic ridge in an _okay, try it, smarty-pants_ kind of way.

The computer squawked at Moonracer, and the screen snowed out. Moonracer started. She gave the computer a smack. Nothing happened. She glanced at Ratchet, who was leaning against the wall, arms folded with amused, knowing smirk on his face. Moonracer gave the base a swift, hard kick, and the screen flared back to life.

Ratchet snorted as the system still did not register the open network.

"What the -? I _just_ set it!" Moonracer kicked the computer again, and it squawked before crashing to a blue screen with white cyberton lettering on it.

"There you have it. A wise, young human female once called it _the blue screen of death_." Ratchet said with an annoyed, yet slightly relieved tone.

Moonracer wanted to throw the computer down a black hole, and she had only tried once. No wonder Ratchet had been beating this machine like a drum.

"Come on, Moonracer, the oil's on me." Ratchet said.

Moonracer started to protest something about being having clear processors, but Ultra Magnus's voice over the comm. stopped the words. It wasn't the words themselves, it was the tone, and the simultaneous shudder of the hull.

_-All hands to the bridge! All han-!-_

The shuttle shook again, throwing Moonracer from the door to the disobedient console. The console squawked, and shut down entirely. It took a minute for Moonracer to get her bearings, and she shook her head. "What was _that_?"

Ratchet righted himself, and walked to the door. He peered out, narrowed his blue optics then looked at Moonracer. "We're going to find out."

The atmospheric force fields engaged as the dust and smoke was sucked into the ventilation. The hole in the wall of the ship was revealed behind clearing smoke, and sparking wall coverings that hung from single wires, and bent siding, but nothing seemed out of place.

Brawn was the first up, already prepared for attack with a defensive stance. He narrowed his optics at the hole. "Something's not right."

Hot Shot stood, pulling a rifle from his back. "An asteroid against a weak panel?" He asked of the room of his comrades.

"No." Brawn gave a quick shake of his head. He looked to where Ultra Magnus was still unconscious on the floor. "Help Magnus."

"Right." Hot Shot inched toward their commander, his weapon aimed at the hole until he was close enough to Magnus to crouch down. With one hand he reached out, and touched the blue and white mech. "Magnus."

Ultra Magnus groaned.

"He's okay." Hot Shot nodded to Brawn.

A low, growling chuckle came from the opening into space.

"Who's there!" Brawn demanded.

"Show yourself!" Hot Shot aimed his rifle at the opening in the side of the shuttle.

Every one of the shuttle's systems crashed simultaneously, starting with the forward consoles then the screen then the lights. Everything winked out, but it failed to faze the two dogged warriors.

Two red optics flared to life in the darkness, inches from Hot Shot's face, followed by a barely illuminated smirk.

"DECEPTICONS!" Hot Shot fired, the shot sparking as it bounced off the wall.

The Decepticon grabbed Hot Shot by the head, and threw him to the ground on top of Ultra Magnus.

Brawn lashed out I the darkness, his fists impacting something just before he was grabbed, and thrown into the console behind him.

"Autobot scum." The lights flickered back to life, and Galvatron brushed off his arms. He turned, and looked at Shockwave as the scientist walked up the corridor followed by Starscream. "This was almost too easy." He rumbled.

Brawn slowly pulled himself to his feet, and held out his fists. "Megatron!"

The Decepticon leader slowly turned to regard Brawn with a bored frown. "Are you perhaps speaking to me?" He almost chuckled. "I'm afraid you have me mistaken for a fool, Autobot."

"Fight me!" Brawn challenged as he spat something reddish black from his mouth.

The Decepticon leader could have been mistaken for amused. "I don't have to." He stepped aside, and Starscream fired with his raised missile launcher into Brawn's right knee.

"Augg." Brawn fell onto his left knee, but refused to go down.

"Lord Galvatron, my sensors have detected more Autobots coming our way. What shall we do sire?" Shockwave glanced at Brawn.

Galvatron sneered. "Disable them."

"Yes, sire." Shockwave bowed, and started to leave.

"Shockwave." Galvatron held up one hand. "They will be more useful online."

Shockwave nodded.

Hot Shot tried to reach for his weapon, but a dark yellow foot came down on top of it. He looked up to see a bot similar to Starscream smirk down at him.

"Make a move." Sunstorm pressed the barrel of his weapon into Hot Shot's head. "Please."

Hot Shot just stared at him with silent rage.

Galvatron walked up to the consoles, and placed a hand on them. "Autobots, your shuttle belongs to me now."

Ratchet and Moonracer hid in a storage closet, shielding their signatures as Shockwave passed by. The door opened, and Ratchet poked his head out. He looked left and right, saw no one, and beckoned Moonracer silently to follow. They got into the corridor that fed the bridge, and slowed to a sidle along the wall just shy of the room itself. Ratchet turned to give Moonracer an order, but saw instead the mint-green femme I the clutches of Shockwave, the Decepticon scientist's weapon aimed at her head.

"We shielded our signals!" Ratchet exclaimed furiously.

Galvatron grabbed Ratchet by the back of his neck, and lifted him up. "Did you really think you could hide from me?!" He bellowed, and threw Ratchet onto the bridge effortlessly.

"Ratchet!" Brawn exclaimed.

Ratchet was firing before he was even down. His first shot grazed Galvatron's left leg, the second bounced off the wall next to Galvatron's head.

Galvatron combined his arms into one cannon, but his aim was thrown off, hitting one console as a plasma burst hit his weapon.

"Hey ugly, remember me?" Hot Shot stood with one foot on Sunstorm, his rifle aimed at the Decepticon leader.

Galvatron didn't bother acknowledging the Autobot, just shot him through the chest. Hot Shot fell, and Galvatron turned. He aimed at Ratchet then shot him through the shoulder.

"Hot Shooot!" Moonracer screamed, Shockwave jerking her up against him, his weapon still aimed at her head.

"Moo-Moonracer." Ratchet struggled to get up.

Brawn struggled to move, but the shot to his knee had all but incapacitated him. If he made it out of this, he promised to let Ironhide install cannons on him for good measure.

Suddenly, Ultra Magnus jumped to his feet, firing two plasma pistols. "Fire if you have them!" He shouted.

A firefight broke out then. Each Autobot shot at a Decepticon, but their plasma bullets seemed to bounce right off their armor plating.

One shot brazed Shockwave, and gave Moonracer enough room to wriggle free, and run behind Brawn as she drew her own weapons, and fired at the purple-ish Decepticon scientist. "Why aren't our weapons doing anything?" She called to her fellow Autobots.

"You're asking me?" Brawn scoffed.

It all of the four seekers to take down Ultra Magnus, and their weapons aimed as his head and spark chamber to make the other Autobots stop.

"One more shot, and your leader dies!" Starscream hissed.

The Autobots hesitated.

Ratchet looked at fallen Hot Shot, and threw down both of his blasters. Moonracer discarded hers next. Ultra Magnus released his grip on the pistols in his hands.

"Take them, and lock them in an empty room." Galvatron growled.

"With pleasure." Thundercracker and Skywarp jerked Ultra Magus, and half-dragged him down the hallway.

Starscream aimed at Ratchet, and gestured with his weapon. "Go, or die, Autobot."

Ratchet narrowed his optics at the Decepticon, but got up, and followed just the same.

Moonracer jerked her arm away from Shockwave as she helped Brawn to his feet, and supported the hulking mech as they too were forced down the corridor.

"What about the scrap?" Sunstorm poked Hot Shot with his foot, and the mech stirred.

"Put him with the rest of the scrap." Galvatron frowned.

"Yes, lord." Sunstorm dragged Hot Shot off the bridge by his arms.

Galvatron approached the front console, and checked the shuttle's course. He smirked, and confirmed it. Earth.

"My lord Galvatron." Shockwave approached his leader, gave a deep bow then stood up. "I wish to speak with you, my liege."

"Proceed." Galvatron said without looking at his cycloptic subordinate.

"The monster." Shockwave said.

"What of it?" Galvatron glanced at Shockwave with his optics.

"It orbits Cybertron."

Galvatron turned enraged red optics to the scientist. "WHAT?" He roared, and set the computer to show him. "HOW DARE YOU, UNICRON!" He bellowed to the screen.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Jazz bobbed as music filled the command center of Moonbase One. He had tucked his upper body under a console as he lay on his back working on boosting the range of the comm. systems, while uploading a piggybacking virus that would allow him to use the Decepticons' spy satellites to increase the range of his attempts to contact Earth. The music shut off, and Jazz started to sit up, but knocked his head on the console.

"Ah, slag..." The silver lieutenant-commander managed to maneuver out from under the console. "'EY! 'JUMPEH YOU SHUT OFF MAH TUNES?!" He shouted, but received no reply. He stood, narrowed on optic, and raised the opposite optics ridge. He leaned on a button on the console. "Cliffjumpeh!"

-Yeah- Came the annoyed reply. -I'm at the scope, Jazz.-

So it wasn't Cliffjumper that had shut off the music. Jazz was about to say something else, but noticed one of the smaller screens embedded in the forward most consoles was all snowed out.

-Ja~azz, hellooo!- Cliffjumper called.

"Yeh." Jazz picked his hand up off the button. "Get back up he'ah." He walked over to the sowed out screen, and tested buttons until Cliffjumper arrived on the bridge.

"Ha ha, you broke it. I'm gonna tell Magnus when he gets back." Cliffumper teased.

Jazz snorted. "Musta. An' it shut off mah jam." Jazz reached to reactivate the sound system when he noticed a blinking yellow light. Instead of turning on the music, he pushed the blinking button.

A blue sphere surrounded by a ring filled their screen.

Both looked up to see a gigantic form filling the moon base's view of Cybertron.

"Where'd that come from?" Jazz gasped in horror as the planet-sized object drew near.

Two mandible-like horns surrounding a glowing orange opening in the middle of the planet extended, and moved toward the surface of the base.

"Who cares," Cliffjumper staggered backward. "I'm more worried about where it's headed!" He gasped.

Jazz tapped away at the keys on the console in front of him, intending to send a distress call to Earth. One gigantic horn sliced into the side of the base right next to the scanning tower. Jazz and Cliffjumper jumped aside, narrowly escaping the larger debris. The moon base shook like a violent earthquake, but it failed to deter the lieutenant. He got to his feet as quickly as he could, and carefully navigated the shaky ground back to the console. He finished the outgoing message sequence, and slammed his hand down onto the transmission switch.

"Talk to me, Earth!" He exclaimed, ducking a flying energon cube. "We got a situation out here!" He waited a moment then continued.

Cliffjumper shakily approached the console, and braced himself next to Jazz.

"Roger me, wilco me, anything! Hello, hello, Earth!" The white mech waited another moment, listening through the din.

Cliffjumper looked from the console to the lieutenant. "You don't think this thing got to Earth, do you?"

Jazz shook his head, images of his family and friends gone flooding him. "This is Jazz!" He exclaimed. "A ginormous, weird-lookin' planet just showed up in the suburbs of Cybertron!"

Cliffjumper pushed past Jazz, and shouted into the comm. "AND it's attacking Moonbase One!"

"Look out!" Jazz pushed Cliffjumper aside, and the planet came down on them, devouring the communications tower. "We gotta get outta here!"

"How!" Cliffjumper exclaimed.

Jazz grabbed Cliffjumper's left arm, and pulled him along. "Follow me, we take th' shuttle!"

The giant planet started to suck in the whole of the moon, causing every inch of it to break up around the two Autobots desperately trying to escape to their shuttle.

The landing pad was mostly unharmed for the moment, but it didn't take a specialist tech to know the planet was quickly gaining ground, and they would soon be consumed entirely.

Jazz took navigations while Cliffjumper took the helm.

"Got to blast free," Jazz was momentarily distracted by a stronger shudder. "If we can." He gulped.

Cliffjumper didn't bother with the takeoff checklist, he flipped what switches he had to, and ignited the engines. "Ignition, and-" He was jarred, and the shuttled stalled.

"Hit it!" Jazz exclaimed.

The engines roared, and the shuttle jumped away from the landing pad. It flew sixty-something yards before Cliffjumper started to wish he had done the blasted checklist.

"Jazz, we're not getting away!" Cliffjumper shouted.

The shuttle tumbled backward toward the planet, having devoured the whole of Moonbase One, and now the shuttle with it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Bebop was balling before he even woke up. Bumblebee jumped up from where he'd dozed in a chair, and leaped to where the sparkling sat on the recharge berth, big crocodile coolant tears falling from his tiny optics.

"It's okay, Bebop." Bumblebee said as he picked him up. "It's okay. You're alright." The mech walked back and forth, bouncing Bebop slightly. "Shh, shh."

"Wassa matter?" Rawhide sat up, rubbing her optics with an annoyed expression. "I was havin' a good sleep."

Tourniquet covered his audio receptors, and rolled his optics, his mouth puckered in a frown.

"Daaa-deeeeee!" Bebop wailed. "Daaa-deeee!"

Bumblebee sighed. "Jazz isn't here." He said remorsefully, patting the sparkling's back. "It's okay, Bebop. Calm down."

"Daaa-deeee! It eat-ed dadee!" Bebop wailed into incoherent toddler words, leaving Bumblebee stunned holding him in the middle of the room.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

In his office, Prowl rescheduled an appointment to speak with Prime about certain Autobot twins that had worn on his last nerve. "Good, see you tomorrow then." Prowl pressed a button, and his comm. screen turned off. He sat back, and folded his hands under his head, his gaze fixed on the ceiling above him. He felt distracted, not something that happened often. He shoo it off then stood, and walked out of his office. The door locked automatically, and the security bot walked down the corridor, and out of the building. He looked up at the dark Earth skies, and felt a chill travel down his spinal sensors. Something felt different for some reason.

Goldbug inched out of her hiding place at the side of the building, and watched Prowl silently. She bit her lip, and felt her faceplate get hot. She quickly ducked back behind the building when she thought Prowl had looked her way.

Goldbug closed her optic casings, and a flash of a giant planet-sized orb with a ring around it, and a gaping maw of sharp gears, and grinding plates made her gasp and open her optics again. What was that? She wondered, and why did it make her think of Jazz? She didn't think he was a monster, but...a chill ran up her spinal sensors. She rubbed her arms, deciding to abandon her personal quest to speak to Prowl, and made to leave. The yellow femme turned the corner, and came face-to-face with Prowl's chassis.

"DAH!" Goldbug gasped, and jumped away from him. "Prowl!" Her vents panted. "Omigawd, you scared me!" she hissed at him then made to walk around him with a shake of her head. "Goodnight."

Prowl grabbed Goldbug's arm to keep her from leaving. "What do you think you're doing lurking around in places you have no business being in?" He raised an optic ridge at the short femme with a frown.

Goldbug averted her optics. "Nothing." she lied. Waiting for you, she thought.

"Nothing is what you have to do here, so why are you here?" Prowl persisted. When Goldbug didn't answer, he tugged her arm toward the building entrance. "Maybe a few megacycles in the stockade will loosen your vocal output."

"No wait!" Goldbug dug her heels into the ground to try and stop from moving, but Prowl was stronger. Uhn, those hydraulics, Goldbug couldn't help but think as she watched the hydraulic tendons in Prowl's arm flex as he pulled her. She snapped out of her swooning stupor, and jerked her arm. "I was waiting!"

Prowl gave a noncommittal "uh huh", and continued to drag the femme behind him.

"I was waiting for _you_!" Goldbug exclaimed just as Prowl's hand hit the door switch.

The police chief slowly turned his head, and looked at Goldbug with a skeptical expression. "Why would you be waiting for me? We don't have a scheduled appointment."

Goldbug yanked her arm, but Prowl held firm. "Y'know, sometimes people just wanna talk. Without a schedule," She pulled her arm. "or an appointment," She pulled again. "Or twenty questions from a bot who sees everyone as a felon - would you let go of me?!" She jerked her arm twice more.

Prowl considered the yellow femme's words then released her arm.

"Thank you." Goldbug rubbed her upper arm where Prowl had bee gripping her tightly. She kind of wished he hadn't let go, even though he was cutting off the circulation. "Do you strength train?" She asked through the awkward silence.

"Why would you be waiting for me?" Prowl asked, ignoring Goldbug's distracting inquiries, and her thanks.

Goldbug rolled her optics. "I just said. I want to talk to you." She turned. "But not if you're going to drag me to the stockade. I'll make a stupid appointment." She took three steps, but Prowl ran ahead of her. Goldbug started - it was a very un-Prowl thing to do, run into someone's path the way he had.

Prowl folded his arms. "You came to talk. So talk."

Goldbug raised an optic ridge, hesitated then spoke. "You look worried."

Prowl started. "I what?"

Goldbug sighed. "You look worried, or you did earlier. When I asked about Ratchet, and why the bots on Moonbase One were still there. You looked worried."

Prowl shifted his blue gaze. "Nevermind. Go home." He turned, and started to walk away.

Goldbug shrieked after him, and ran to catch up. "Now wait just a slagging minute!" She grabbed Prowl's arm, and unexpectedly he jerked her off, and jumped away.

They stared at each other before Goldbug blinked a few times. "I'm sorry."

Prowl shook his head, and didn't answer for a moment. "Nothing." He said. "Nothing is wrong, but if there were I would ask Prime. He has all the information."

"But I'm asking you! You obviously know something about this not-incident!" Goldbug walked hurriedly alongside Prowl to try and stay ahead of him. "Hello, I'm talking to you!"

Prowl stopped, and held up a hand in front of Goldbug. "Talk to Prime."

"I'm talking to _you_!" Goldbug exclaimed after him. "Prowl, damn it for once in your life could you _please_ give me a straight answer?"

Prowl stopped again, propped one hand on his waist, and rubbed his optics with the other. He shook his head slightly then looked up, and turned to Goldbug.

Goldbug could see it in his optics - that shift that made it apparent to her that he was worried. VERY worried. "What is it?" She asked calmly.

Prowl waited another micron then spoke. "I can't tell you that we haven't received contact from Moonbase One in over three solar cycles - "

"What?" Goldbug gasped.

"-I also can not tell you that this incident calls protocol 3-point-one-four-three-seven-A into action, meaning the Moonbase One team has been officially deemed P.O.W., also I absolutely can not divulge this will call a second team not due to Moonbase Two for another month to be deployed as part of a rescue operation being planned by Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and myself - "

"But dad's up there." Goldbug resisted the tears that threatened to streak down her face.

"-And if I told you that I am on way to that meeting this very moment, I would be breaching protocol four-two-nine-three-point-six, sub section nine-four-four, paragraph eight, clearly stating that divulging otherwise top secret or classified operations information to unauthorized personnel is punishable by six-month suspension of duties, and sentencing to the stockade upon further investigation. If I did tell you, obviously, I would be severely punished." Prowl stared at Goldbug. "I'm sorry, my rank prohibits me from divulging any information to you."

Goldbug nodded. "Just bring my dad home."

Prowl nodded, and turned to walk away.

"Oh, and Prowl?" Goldbug called out.

Prowl turned, but said nothing.

Goldbug smiled, wiping a rogue tear from her left optic. "That not-telling-me-while-telling-me-thing!" She called. "I'm adding it to the list of reasons why I love you!" Having confessed, she ran away from him. She didn't see the stunned expression on his face, or hear the protest the officer wanted to make. She didn't care, it wouldn't change how she felt.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Amy gave up the search. So what? She thought bitterly, walking back toward the medical wing. Amy groaned - she cared too much. "What if it's truuue?" She wailed aloud to the empty lobby as she walked in.

Moonracer looked up with a placid, painted, straight-lipped frown.

Amy approached the reception desk, and leaned on it. "What if Goldbug's a doll? I can deal with it right?" she slumped on the desk, arms outstretched.

Moonracer seemed to be contemplating an answer then said robotically. "I suppose so."

Amy raised an optic ridge. "Did you know?" She stood up straight, surprised by Moonracer's calm.

"Did I know what" Moonracer asked, staring straight at Amy.

Amy sighed exasperatedly. "Did you _know_ that Goldbug is a"- Amy made a gesture like taking a deep breath. "She's a lady of the evening."

Moonracer blinked stiffly. "I don't understand."

Amy's shoulders fell. "Nevermind." She leaned on her arms on the desk. "Are you okay? You look tired."

"Yes, I look tired." Moonracer said.

Amy started. "Uhh." She looked around. She raised an optic ridge then said. "So how's Air?"

"The air in the building is at proper levels." Moonracer replied.

Amy leaned her head forward. "The air...in the building." she tilted her head, and raised a finger. "Hey Moonracer, didn't you go to Moonbase One?"

Moonracer sat as stalk still as when Amy had come in then suddenly rose, and aimed a weapon at the femme's head.

"Right." Amy dodged as the femme fired then jumped up, and slammed her over the head with both her fists. Moonracer wasn't even fazed.

On evening watch, Hot Rod came out from a side room. "What's going on out - woah!" He dodged plasma fire as Amy ran across the lobby, the shots following close behind her.

Amy rolled up against the desk, and closed her optic casings. I need help, she prayed. I really, really, really need help. She stood up, held out her hands, and they glowed blue.

The fake Moonracer lifted into the air in a bubble of blue energy. It held out it's cannon toward Amy. "Vector Sigma must be eliminated."

Amy shook her head. "Not today it mustn't." She clapped her hands, the bubble collapsed, and crushed the fake Moonracer into a ball of metal.

Hot Rod sidled up next to the blue femme, and peered over the desk at the motionless ball of scrap. He looked at Amy, and said. "Remind me never to get on your bad side." He looked back at the ball. "What's up with Moonracer?"

Amy shook her head. "That isn't Moonracer. I know for a fact, Moonracer went to Moonbase One, or I thought I did, and then I saw her here just after the shuttle left. Now I'm sure."

"So what does that mean?" Hot Rod asked.

Amy pursed her lips. "Someone's been spying on us." She looked at Hot Rod. "And three guesses who that would be."

Hot Rod was about to say something when a green blow dart hit him in the side of the neck. He fell to the ground, motionless.

"Hey!" Amy crouched next to him. A dart flew over her head, and she turned her head to look at it. "What the-?"

"Oh, no matter." Said a hiss-like voice.

A shudder ran up Amy's spine. Slowly, she looked up to see a black spider the size of a buick slink down on a glowing blue thread. It stopped in front of her, and said simply. "Long time no see, my treacherous creation."

"And here I thought Megatron was spying on me. You would never have crossed my mind." Amy turned, and walked away from him.

Tarantulus dropped from his thread, and crawled ahead of Amy, making her jump. He transformed, and blocked her path. "I mean what I say, for I have more important matters to attend to."

Amy looked around. "How did you get in here? The alarms are supposed to go off when Decepticons are detected - wait, why the hell am I talking to you?" She raised her activated cannon. "I'm just gonna kill you."

"And what would that do for you, my dear?" Tarantulus asked, not flinching.

"It would give me satisfaction. For everything you stole from me. My life, my humanity, and my family." Amy jabbed him in the face with her cannon.

"So, shoot, I'd rather not be around when the monster awakens anyhow." Tarantulus folded his arms, and the spidery legs on his back, and shrugged.

Amy considered his words, her optics narrowed. "What monster?"

Tarantulus picked at invisible lint on one of his spidery legs. "The monster which created me, and to answer your inquiry - your pitiful Autobot alarm systems cannot detect me for I am not a Decepticon, I am a Predacon, that which is born of Unicron."

"Humoring you for no reason. What?" Amy asked exasperatedly.

Tarantulus gently poked uncaring at Amy's weapon, and explained. "Unicron is the demon of the universe, a monster which devours everything. I believe at this very moment, it is consuming your precious Moonbase One, and - heh - your bondmate." he looked please with the momentary horror that flashed in Amy's optics.

"What makes you think I trust _anything_ you say?" Amy lowered her weapon.

Tarantulus looked at the lowered weapon then Amy's face. "My case in point. You haven't fired at me, have you?"

Amy sighed. "Whatever, so assuming what you say is true- which I'm not saying it is - how do I destroy Unicron?"

Tarantulus almost giggled. "You must use the power of Twilight."

Amy's jaw dropped a bit. "Say what?"

Tarantulus pointed behind Amy. The blue femme turned to see a child, no taller than her knees with its left optic missing, and its arms bound to its body with what looked like barbed wire lying limp behind her.

The shriek of terror that lifted from Amy's lips was the last thing she heard before another voice.

"Amy!" Bumblebee's voice called. "Amy, by the Allspark, you're awake."

"TARANTULUS!" Amy screamed as she sat up from the floor.

Bumblebee started. "And...feeling fine, I see." He reached out a hand to steady Amy as she sat staring at the front doors of the building. "You had us worried."

"Hot Rod." Amy turned to Bumblebee.

"No, I'm Bumblebee." the yellow mech teased. "Remember, Bumblebee?"

"Stop that, he was here, he got shot by this dart, and he passed out -!" Amy gasped. "And the spider!" she struggled to stand, leaning her weight on the counter. Behind it there sat no hunk of metal, but it looked disheveled like a fight had occurred. "That sneaky little bastard took it!" she gasped, and turned to look around.

"Amy." Bumblebee grasped Amy's arms. "Calm down. You were injured, and the imposter Moonracer has been detained by Red Alert."

Amy shook her head. "No, it was shooting at me, and I crushed it, and then Tarantulus shot Hot Rod in the neck with a green dart."

"Amy." Bumblebee said again.

"Then there was something about the monster that eats planets, and"- Amy rambled.

"What?" Bumblebee started. "Eats planets? What about it?" Bumblebee grabbed Amy's shoulders as she continued to ramble, and shook her. "Amy, tell me about the monster!"

Amy waited until the mech stopped shaking her then leveled a narrowed-optic look with him, and raised an optic ridge.

Bumblebee released the femme. "Sorry."

Amy brushed off her arms. "Tarantulus said there is a monster that eats planets, and that it ate Moonbase One." She frowned down at her dusty plating.

Bumblebee didn't speak, thinking of Bebop's dream. The sparkling was still with Firestar, probably crying for Jazz at this very moment. "Bebop's dream." He muttered.

"No, it was my dream, I think...anyway, I don't trust anything that spider says, dream or no, so don't look too...much...into...-Bumblebee?" She tilted her head to get a look at his thoughtful face. "What is it?"

Bumblebee looked at the femme with a mildly disturbed expression. "What you said, about the monster." He said, his arms folded as he thought.

"What about it?" Amy frowned.

Bumblebee hesitated then explained. "Bebop woke up screaming from a nightmare. He said a monster ate Jazz."

"Oh, my baby. Where's Bebop now?" Amy asked, urgently grasping Bumblebee's arms.

"He's with Firestar, back where we put the sparklings to sleep." Bumblebee said, and Amy was off like a shot. "Amy!" He called then ran after her. "Amy, what is it?"

"I think Bebop can see the future!" Amy shouted back.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

OMGWTF! Future-seeing behbeh! xD

And a spider. he was supposed to have more to do with the story the first time, but I got lazy. This is where more emphasis is put on Amy's visions, and another aspect of her mental status is put into question.

~Zex


	4. Chapter 4

If you're Reeeeeally paying attention, you'll see I'm taking out the three girls. Why? To do a different story just about them, and their connections to Cybertronians. ANYWAY!~They'll still be mentioned in the story, but that's about it...mentioning. like, a phone call~

**rant, rant, rant**

Thanks so much to all my readers so far! Your reviews keep me goin', so don't forget to drop me a comment!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

All That Jazz 2

Chapter 4

**-****_Somewhere on Cybertron-_**

"How dare you, Unicron!" A dark grey and purple mech slammed his fist into the throne-like chair he sat in. He stood up. "Cybertron, and all it's moons belong to me now!" He bellowed.

A red light filled the room, and a screech pierced all the Decepticons' audio receptors.

"Don't forget!" Another dark mech exclaimed. "We belong to him!"

The light faded, and the screeching stopped.

The mech in charge pulled himself to his feet, and dignified his posture. "No matter." He walked down to steps. "Soon I, Galvatron, will have the means to destroy my so-called master." He said slowly. "Shockwave, have you located Vector sigma yet?"

A purple mech with a single, large red lens as an eye turned from his console. "Yes, lord Mega-"

Galvatron raised his head, frowning.

"Er, I mean, yes, lord _Galvatron_," Shockwave displayed an image on the screen.

A blue femme lay on an infirmary station, a red femme hurrying around her making repairs.

"Have we received confirmation from our infiltrators yet?" Galvatron asked.

Shockwave handed Galvatron a message pad with a communiqué from Decepticon Blackout on Earth.

An evil smile spread across Galvatron's face, revealing sharp, metal teeth. "Prepare our captured shuttle, and the prisoners." He pressed a button on Shockwave's console, the image on the screen changing to three mechs and a femme in a dark holding cell. "They will yet see their precious organic planet again."

**_-Cybertron holding cell, 400 meters below Shockwave's Tower-_**

Ratchet stared up at Buzzsaw, blue optics narrowed. He held his left upper arm with his right hand, trying to decide if it was worth the pain to tear his own arm off, and throw it at Soundwave's spy-bird.

Moonracer sat against the wall behind Ratchet, her armor plating singed, and dirtied from the firefight. She hugged her knees to her chest, and sighed. There wasn't anything productive to say, but the silence was deafening, and considering the battle, the mint-green femme wanted to be sure her audio receptors hadn't given out. "Ratchet?" She asked softly.

Ratchet turned. His audio receptors were fine.

"Will you please tell me about your imprint? The little white mech I saw Firestar with." Moonracer requested, her audio emitter barely above a whisper so as not to wake Brawn. The tan mech had suffered the most damage being a frontline bot, and Ratchet's quick fix could only keep him going for so long, seeing as the Decepticons had taken whatever they could off of the Autobot team, _and_ their shuttle.

Ultra Magnus sat against the wall adjacent to Moonracer, and across from Brawn, arms folded, staring down at the floor. "Don't talk. The Decepticons will use anything they can against us."

Moonracer gasped, and covered her mouth.

"Don't worry about it." Ratchet muttered. The yellow mechanic turned. "What do you want to know, Moonracer?"

Moonracer started to ask, but the sound of a door slamming from somewhere, and footsteps approaching caused all four bots to turn, and look at the transparent red field used to keep them in the cell.

Brawn turned his optics to the field behind him, watching for whatever Decepticon dared show their ugly mug. A cannon silently transformed out of Brawns arm, the trigger conveniently in his hand.

"Stand down." Ultra Magnus ordered.

The cannon shifted back into the tan mech's arm, and Brawn nodded.

A plasma blaster hit the field. "Hello Auto-_brats_." Starscream cackled. "It's time to go home." He laughed maniacally.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Wheeljack leaned closer to the screen, scrutinizing the image of the brightly burning star Earth orbited third from.

"Your son is expanding." The scientist said thoughtfully.

Amy, flipping through her address book she installed on her commlink, missed his point entirely, and sighed distractedly. "I guess I could stop feeding Bebop energon goodies." She smiled when she found the phone number, and hurriedly contacted it.

Wheeljack turned; one blue optic squinted at the bleu femme. "I'm curious how that would stop the star's eventual cataclysmic collapse."

"Huh? Oh! The sun!" Amy laughed.

"Yes." Wheeljack nodded.

"It's fine." Amy waved a hand dismissively.

Wheeljack, speechless, looked at his readouts then at Amy. "Blazer, and the rate it's going-"

"Hiii Emily!" Amy giggled gleefully.

Wheeljack let his head fall into his hand. "Nevermind."

"It's Amy." She said dejectedly. "Ye-ah, dummy. You're comin' to see me still, right?" She beamed at open air. "Well yeah I still like you guys, we were best friends growing up. So how's Canada? Still cold?" She laughed a moment later.

Wheeljack would have smiled if not for his face mask, turned, and went about studying the rest of the Earth's sun.

"Oh really? I've always wanted to stay at Circus Circus, dad always said he'd take up, but-well, anyway, so you're all the way to Vegas already?" Amy paused, listening. "Tomorrow?" She whined. "Oh, fine, sleepy head. Since you're the driver."

Wheeljack cleared the screen, and turned. "I'm going to get some Energon, care to join me?"

"Oh, you're welcome. It was nothing, I told you I'd do anything to get your guys down here." Amy giggled. "I never expected Grandma to send me a bottle of Whisky for my birthday, let alone have it be worth so much." She laughed.

"Blazer." Wheeljack said, optics dimming with bored irritation. He wondered if she was always like this.

"It's a long story, but I'll tell you when you get here." Amy beamed.

"My processors are overloading, I need to go to the infirmary." Wheeljack lied to get Amy's attention.

"Okay, see you tomorrow. Hug Violet for me, no matter how much she protests!" Amy couldn't stop grinning, she was just happy to finally get a hold of her friends. "_Ja ne!_" she tapped the side of her head then looked at Wheeljack.

Wheeljack drummed his right hand fingers on his right knee.

"what?" Amy shrugged.

Wheeljack shook his head, and stood. "I had no idea you could be so-bubbly." He shuddered slightly. "You remind me too much of your daughter. _How many_ stellar cycles are you?" He asked, implying she was juvenile.

"Nineteen, and don't you forget it!" Amy stuck out her tongue, or a part of Autobot mouth that resembled a tongue, but was more like a gear. "I'm excited, okay? I haven't seen them in, like, three years!" she trotted after Wheeljack. "I'm not an airhead."

Wheeljack chuckled. "You said it, not me." He teased.

Amy humped, and folded her arms as she walked next to Wheeljack.

"So," Wheeljack said as they exited to the main street of Autobot City. "Who are these human friends of yours?" He asked, trying to clear the awkward air between them.

Amy stuck her nose in the air. "Who says they're human?" She asked, stubbornly

"You were human once before." Wheeljack said pointedly. "Or have you always led a double life?" He jeered.

Amy sulked, clasping her hands behind her. "No," She pouted slightly at the thought of the life she once had. "Being Autobot is fairly new."

Wheeljack stopped walking, and grasped Amy's shoulder to make her stop as well. "Blazer," He said. "I was only teasing. I know you were once Amy Miller-"

"I still am!" Amy snapped. "My body has changed, but my mind and my heart are still Amy Miller, and nothing anyone says can change that!" She shouted.

Wheeljack started. "I only meant..." He let the sentence fall.

Amy had become all too aware of her vulnerability as an Autobot in the past year. It was far too easy to forget yourself, and she refused to do it again. She desperately clung to her human life through the pretender form, and though many had tried to convince her to let go of the past, there was far too much of it to pack away; it wasn't just a bad experience they were talking about, it was her whole life up to now.

"I need to go." Amy sighed. "Rain check on the energon, okay?" She shrugged. "I'm just-" she paused. "I'm not in the mood." She turned, and walked away.

Wheeljack noted the blue femme was walking toward the security office, and sighed. Every Autobot in the city knew about moonbase one. He reminded himself that Amy was still human in so many ways, and casually suggesting otherwise was still far too much for her processor to handle now.

Ironhide walked out of the command tower, squinting his optics at the rising sun. His internal chronometer indicated it was nine-twenty AM. He sent a quick message to Chromia stating he would retrieve Rawhide, and return by evening then walked toward the ferry bridge. It wasn't really a bridge, but an elongated dock where an automated ferry had been built to run from Autobot City to San Diego California.

A familiar blue femme walked by on a perpendicular street, and the black mech started. "AMY!" He bellowed, running to the end of the block.

Amy stopped, and turned. Had someone called her? She saw Ironhide at the end of the block where she had just passed, and waited for him as he approached her.

"Are you ill?" Ironhide asked.

"No." Amy said, her face placid. She was too pre-occupied with everything to be any kind of emotional. She thought of Jazz, and Bebop, Moonracer, Ratchet, Ironhide, Optimus, Goldbug, Tourniquet, Bumblebee, Estelle, Emily, Violet, and others along with certain news she had received. She had never stopped to think about her life, but because of Wheeljacks words, _You were once Amy Miller,_ she had suddenly started to question herself, and if she was really who she thought she was, or was it just a program concocted by a computer chip?

"You are on the verge of Energon depletion." Ironhide said matter-of-factly.

Amy nodded absently. "Thanks for noticing." She muttered, and turned.

"Where are you going?" Ironhide asked.

Amy shrugged, walking slowly. "Dunno."

Ironhide took a step, and grasped Amy's arm. "Your-er-sparkling should be priority."

Amy turned green optics on the large black mech. "Spark-ling." She murmured then blinked as if the word had brought her back to her senses. "Bebop." She sighed guiltily. "I left Bumblebee with Bebop, Rawhide, and Tourniquet!" She gasped. "We gotta go, he needs re-enforcements!" She exclaimed.

Ironhide was puzzled by the blue femme's abrupt change in mood, but was also pleased she was not brooding any longer. "They are fledglings." Ironhide said matter-of-factly as he ran along side Amy toward the ferry bridge.

"Do you know what happens to adults when children outnumber them?" Amy exclaimed. "I've seen cataclysms occur over misplaced ketchup bottles!"

Ironhide was loathe to believe her. "That is not possible! Bumblebee is a general in the Autobot army," he said. "Nothing will happen."

"HA!" Amy laughed. "Famous last words, Ironhide! That's all I have to say. Famous last words." She nodded as they approached the dock.

Firestar stood at the dock awkwardly, she had not been out of Autobot City since she had arrived from Hoover Dam. She considered sight seeing in San Diego before heading for Tranquility, but all she wanted to do now was break it to Tourniquet gently that he may never see Ratchet again, though she couldn't see the little white mech becoming too upset over it.

It did brighten her day a little to see Amy and Ironhide running toward her like their heels were on fire, arguing about the strike capabilities of unarmed capabilities.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It would be four hours, fifty-eight minutes give or take before the three bots would arrive in Tranquility. The clock on the kitchen wall of the Miller House read one-twenty three.

Tourniquet walked up to Bumblebee, a large green praying mantis on his should. The mantis's right eye was all blue, but it's right all black save for a small blue dot in the center indicating a certain degree of blindness. The blonde pretender puzzled over where the insect had come from, but pushed the thought aside as the white-haired boy set his large encyclopedia on Bumblebee's lap. He opened it to a random page, and pointed at the pages.

"How to make Bumblebee stew." Tourniquet announced.

The blonde started, mildly disturbed.

The insect bumblebee perched on Bebop's nose hid behind his ear. Bebop stood on the bottom step of the basement stairs, leaning on the banister.

Tourniquet snapped an eyepatch over his left eye, and held a whisk under Bumblebee's chin. "Tell me where ye hid the energon goodies, or we'll stew and eat ye instead!" He growled in what he assumed to be a pirate-esque voice.

The blonde, wearing an apron over his clothes wailed in a purposefully high-pitched, feminine voice. "Help, help, the pirates want all my goodies!" He gasped melodramatically.

Rawhide jumped down from a box marked "fragile", and held up two wooden spoons, one shorter than the other. "I'll save you, miss!"

A giant brown grasshopper chirped excitedly, getting ready to pounce.

"HAHA! She is my prisoner!" Tourniquet laughed.

"Do you ever-" Bumblebee started then coughed to clear his throat of the high-pitched voice to speak normally. "Do you ever make Amy be the damsel in distress?"

Tourniquet rolled his eyes. "Bebop's mother-spark _is_ a damsel. It's stupid to have a _boy_ be in trouble. Boy's are smarter than that."

"You mean girl's are stupid?!" Rawhide shrieked indignantly.

"Yeah." Tourniquet said matter-of-factly, staring down the tan-haired girl.

"You're stupid!" Rawhide lunged at the boy, sending the grasshopper flying into the mantis, both insects rolling on the ground toward the stairs.

Bebop watched the two small pretenders. "They're fighting again."

Bumblebee tried to untie himself, but much to his dismay, the knot for the rope was at his waist in front. "Oh, slag." He muttered. "Hey!" He looked at the squabbling pair. "Untie me right now!" He demanded. "Stop fighting! Tourniquet, Rawhide!"

Bumblebee's demands fell on deaf ears as the pair continued to roll around, and smack at each other.

Whisper fluttered down to where the two large insects were composing themselves.

"You should stop them. You're big bugs." Bebop said, squatting down to look at the three insects on the ground.

The mantis and grasshopper exchanged a glance then nodded.

The mantis fluttered over to Tourniquet while the grasshopper pounced on Rawhide, and with unbelievable strength rivaling that of an adult, pushed each child down onto their backs kicking and screaming.

A green robot in place of the mantis, the scythe-like arms now tools on its own arms stood on Tourniquet's chest, frowning. "That will be quite enough of that, thank you." He said.

A brown bot with features of the grasshopper, and cannons on its arms aimed at Rawhide smirked. "Keep yer head down, and yer mouth closed, kids. Party's over."

Rawhide let her head fall back.

Bumblebee found himself freed from the chair, and stood up, rubbing his wrists.

A small femme bot appearing to have black exoskeletal armor over an almost luminescent blue endoskeleton, and large indigo colored wings like a morpho Adonis butterfly fluttered to Bumblebee's front holding a small, but sharp blade which retracted into her arm.

"You have impeccable timing." Bumblebee said. "Thank you."

The femme nodded. "Always a pleasure to assist a fellow Autobot."

"Mamma home!" Bebop chanted, running up the stairs.

Bumblebee continued to rub his wrists. "I refuse to endure five hours of pirate play ever again."

The butterfly femme shrugged then transformed to her Morpho Adonis form, and perched on Bumblebee's ear as he walked up to the main floor.

"Hel-lo!" Amy called to the quiet house. "Rawhide, Tourniquet, some bots want to see you!" She walked into the kitchen.

A man wearing faded black jeans, a faded black leather jacket, black t-shirt, and black western style hat walked with a slight limp to the couch, and sat down.

The woman had long red hair in a braid, wore a maroon pants suit, and stood admiring the collection of photographs on the entry way table.

A little dark-haired boy climbed the stairs, and looked at the two with wide, terrified green eyes.

The man leaned forward on the couch, a tight scowl plastered to his face.

The woman turned, and smiled. She crouched down, looking at the boy. "Hi Bebop, remember me? I'm Firestar."

"Fiyowstah." Bebop said with some difficulty.

Firestar looked with some concern at the pretender boy. "No, my name is F_ire_sta_r_." She tried to emphasize the syllables.

"That's what he said." Amy said distractedly as she walked into the room. She stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to the upper floor. "Bumblebee!" She called.

Firestar walked to the stairs next to Amy, and looked up to the landing. "Maybe he's recharging."

"It's after three." Amy grumbled indignantly.

Bebop reached out with a tiny hand, and tugged the leg of Amy's boot-cut jeans. "Momma." He whispered.

Amy and Firestar crouched down, and even the man on the couch leaned forward to hear what the small boy had to say.

"What is it, baby?" Amy asked.

Bebop scrunched up his face in thought then spoke. "Bubbobee is in da basemen." The boy said.

Amy was about to say something when the sound of shouting and slapping came from downstairs hall.

"Stop it, both of you!" Bumblebee exclaimed as he appeared in the lower stairwell, carrying Tourniquet under his left arm, Rawhide under his right.

"Oh, really, Bumble." Amy sighed exasperatedly. She lifted Bebop from the stairs, and held him as the blonde passed. "Can you really not handle three toddlers?"

"These beings are not children!" Bumblebee snapped, a wild look in his pretender blue eyes. "They are hellbots sent from the pit to offline me!" He carried the two squabbling children to the living room, and dropped them onto the couch, taking no notice of the man in black.

"See?" Amy smiled smugly, folding her arms. "I told ya. Kids are dangerous in numbers."

The man in black stood. "I fail to see the danger."

"You weren't here!" Bumblebee shouted then turned on his heel, and made for the kitchen.

Amy blinked.

Firestar raised an eyebrow puzzled.

The man in black looked at Rawhide. "Have you misbehaved?"

Rawhide picked herself up, and stood on the couch, still a good three feet shorter than the man. "No! I played pirates then _stupidhead _said girl's are stupid!"

"I did not!" Tourniquet exclaimed, sitting cross-legged on the couch, the praying mantis on his right shoulder.

"He said it, Ironhide, he did!" Rawhide tugged the man's shirt.

Ironhide lifted Rawhide to the ground. "You will discuss this with Chromia."

Rawhide jutted her lower lip out so far it could have been a cash drawer, and folded her arms stubbornly.

Ironhide tilted his head down, frowning, arms folded.

Amy leaned closer to Firestar and whispered. "It's times like these, you can really see the family resemblance."

The read-head nodded.

Tourniquet noticed Firestar for the first time that day, and quickly scampered over to hug her legs. Firestar struggled to keep her balance, but ultimately succeeded.

The praying mantis reached out to brush lint off of Firestar's leg, but it's arm got stuck, and it tried to wriggle it free in a panic.

Firestar felt the slight tug, and looked down to see a large, green insect with larger scythe-like arms, twitching its arm at her leg. All in all, Firestar didn't expect what she did next, and would be thoroughly embarrassed about it later.

"AAAAA!" Firestar shrieked like a child, and jumped around. "Get it off, get it off!"

"Hold still, he's stuck!" Tourniquet shouted.

The mantis hoped the jarring would set him loose, but so far he had been jarred seven times, and hung limp, and dizzy from the pretender woman's leg.

"Calm down, it's just a little-HOLY COW, THAT THING IS HUGE!" Amy gasped, jumping up onto the coffee table. "What is that?!" She shouted.

Bumblebee walked out from the kitchen, frowning slightly. "Hold still!" He snapped at Firestar.

Firestar stopped hopping, sticking her leg out, and leaning away from it as the blonde yanked the Praying Mantis loose in one quick tug.

"Be more careful, Static." He muttered.

The praying mantis flew up to Tourniquet's shoulder, and sat there examining its previously stuck scythe.

Amy gawked. "It has a _name_?" She gulped.

"Like Whisper!" Bebop giggled.

Amy started. "Whisper...your imaginary friend?"

Bebop stomped his right foot. "He's not imaginawy!"

"Right, he lives in that dollhouse." Amy said, stepping down off of the coffee table.

"Watch it!" A small, but loud voice roared.

Amy looked down to see her foot, but could feel something pushing up on it.

"Don't step on Hopper!" Rawhide gasped. She quickly retrieved something from beneath Amy's foot, and held it against her chest.

At first glance it looked like a little action figure of some kind, but then it blinked, and Amy relaxed slightly.

"Is that...a...?" Amy gestured to the doll thing with one finger. "Cybertronian?"

"Darn tootin', an' don't you be forgettin' it!" Hopper waved one cannon at the woman on the coffee table. "And don't step on me, either!"

Amy stared, mouth slightly agape at the brown robot in Tourniquet's hands. It really did look like a doll because of its size, and she wondered if the praying mantis was the same. She looked over at the white-haired toddler, and saw a green mech with scythe's _on_ its arms, not as its arms, staring back at her with one blue eye, and one black eye with a blue pupil.

A tiny yellow bot flew up abruptly to Amy's nose, and kissed it.

Amy raised her eyebrows, and closed her mouth. "Whisper?" She asked.

The little bot nodded, and zipped back over to Bebop.

Amy forced a smile. "Excuse me." She turned, walked calmly out to the patio, and closed the door. She didn't dislike bugs, she used to catch them when she was little, and she was always willing to meet new people-or bots, but after the events of the day she had already had, it was far too much information for her brain to process, and as she screamed out at the top of her lungs, she had to wonder if maybe she was just dreaming the whole thing?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Moonracer stared absently at the screen, her mind anywhere but the task at hand.

"Pay attention to your work, Autobot!" Starscream hit the back of the mint green femme's head.

Brawn jumped up, and moved toward Starscream. "If you lay one more diode on her, I'll-!" He warned.

"You'll what?" Starscream cackled.

"Brawn, stop!" Ultra Magnus grabbed Brawn, hooking his arms around the mech's shoulders. "He's not worth it."

"He's worth every dent I could inflict!" Brawn bellowed.

Galvatron paid mild attention to the squabbling before he shot Starscream in the foot. "Sit down." He growled.

Starscream muttered in Cybertronian, and walked back to engineering control.

The Autobot shuttle had been nearly destroyed by the Decepticons when it had been deployed from moonbase one on a simple Energon retrieval mission to Autobot City on Earth. It had been fairly easy to capture the shuttle, and kill most of the crew.

The four they had kept online were for appearances only, and Galvatron had every intention of killing the so-called _hostages_ after they had landed in Autobot City.

Brawn kept a close optic on Starscream, glaring at every twitch the Decepticon lieutenant made toward Moonracer.

Ratchet glanced at Brawn then looked back at his console. A red download bar was nearly full, indicating his sub-space connection had almost made contact.

Contact destination: Earth

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Mikaela's face, speckled by chicken pox, itched like crazy despite the pink calamine lotion spread over her skin. She knew the cream couldn't possibly be good for her complexion, but neither were the chicken pox. She flipped idly through a Delia's magazine, big red headphones covered her ears. Mikaela bobbed her head to The Shins, bored out of her mind.

"Kay, honey, do you-" Mikaela's mom entered the room, and paused. She walked over to her daughter, and pulled the headphones from her daughter's head.

"AA!" Mikaela started, turning on her side, and holding the magazine up. "Geez, mom, you scared me!" She chuckled slightly.

"Sorry, hon," Her mom laughed. "Do you know a girl named Amy?"

Mikaela sat up, trying to fix her hair. "Amy?" She beamed, and walked to the mirror wearing a bright orange robe over a pink tank top, blue plaid cotton shorts, and slippers shaped like Lightning McQueen.

"That's what she said." She shook her head. "Anyway, I told her you were sick, it's probably better because she had a little baby with her."

Mikaela crawled across her bed, and looked out the small window. "Amy!" She beamed, and jumped off the bed, leaving pink lotion marks where he legs had touched the comforter.

"Kay!" Her mother exclaimed, exasperatedly. "Lotion everywhere." She sighed, clearing off the bed to change the sheets.

Mikaela dashed through the living room, and opened the door. "Amy!" She exclaimed.

Amy turned from buckling the pretender boy into the seat. "What the-?" She started. "You're all pink!" She snorted back a laugh.

Mikaela trotted down the front stairs, and out the gate. "Its just lotion, hi!" She hugged Amy.

Amy sniffed. "You feel like having company?" She asked, hiccupping on a sob.

Mikaela gasped, and released Amy. She grabbed her shoulders. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

Amy shook her head.

"Mommy sad." Bebop said, sitting on the front seat.

Mikaela looked at the boy. "Hi there cutie." She smiled.

Amy sniffed hard, and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry." She muttered. "A lot's happened this week. I am up to my aft in bad news, and I really need someone to talk who isn't going to look at me like I'm crazy."

Mikaela nodded. "It's what I'm here for."

Amy took Bebop inside with her, and relayed everything from the night Jazz told her he was leaving, to Sea World, to the little sense of doubt she had gotten when Wheeljack referred to her human like in the past tense.

Mikaela frowned slightly, holding a glass of strawberry lemonade in her hands. "Well, it _was_ before, wasn't it? You _were_ human, _now_ you're an Autobot, aren't you?" She shrugged slightly.

Amy sighed, setting her glass empty of lemonade on a hello kitty coaster atop the small white desk to her right. "I guess, but it felt weird to talk about my life that way. Sure, it would be different if it were just an event, but it was eighteen years of my life." She explained, shaking her head slightly.

Bebop made an explosion sound as a Barbie impacted a stuffed bear.

Mikaela chuckled. "Reminds me of Trigger. How is the little weirdo, anyway?" she asked.

Amy shrugged. "It hangs out with Blaster and the minibots."

"Blaster?" Mikaela raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, he's the communications officer; sits up in his tower like some hermit." Amy chuckled slightly. "He's cool though, keeps up with current events, and almost always keeps MTV or VH1 on the screens."

Mikaela nodded thoughtfully. "That's cool, I'll have to meet him."

Amy crossed her legs, and leaned back on her hands. "Jazz was always getting new music downloads from him."

Mikaela reached out, and grasped Amy's right knee. She smiled slightly, not sure what to say. Would it be okay? Was there anything she could do if she offered?

"I'm okay." Amy sighed, sitting up.

"Mama, look!" Bebop made the Barbie fly up in the air then crashed down into a Dori pillow.

Amy chuckled. "That's great, baby."

"He's so big." Mikaela cooed. "I can't believe how long it's been."

Amy shook her head. "Don't let his size fool you, Autobot fledglings grow at a rate five times faster than human children."

"Wow, really?" Mikaela looked at Bebop.

"It just means that in two years, he'll look like he's about ten instead of two." Amy explained.

"ohh." Mikaela nodded. "So, will he still act two?"

Amy shook her head. "No, he'll be the Autobot equivalent of a ten year old human child." She looked at Bebop, smiled, and sighed.

Bebop looked at Amy. "Hi mommy." He put down the Barbie, picked up the teddy bear, and crawled over to the bed. He stood up shakily, and tried to pull himself up onto Mikaela's lap.

Mikaela reached down, and lifted the boy under his arms. "Oh, you're a heavy boy." She grunted as she lifted him up.

Bebop leaned back against Mikaela, holding the bear.

"Do you even know me?" Mikaela asked.

"Yeah." Bebop giggled. "Kayla."

"_Mikaela_." She corrected.

"Me-Kayla." Bebop said.

Mikaela and Amy laughed.

"He's so cuuute!" Mikaela cooed again, hugging the little pretender boy. "I don't care if you're a robot, you're so cute!"

"What about the others?" Amy asked absently though she knew Mikaela didn't know either. "Prowl said they could account for Jazz and Cliffjumper's voices on the transmission, but almost half of the Autobots in Autobot City were on that base.

"Bumblebee?" Mikaela gasped.

"No, he's at my house mediating Ironhide vs, the Insectibots."

"Insects?" Mikaela's eyes grew wide. "What insects?" She looked around nervously, trying to rub away the goosebumps on her arms.

"They're from Cybertron, I'm not sure how they got to Earth, and they're not sure either because the only one awake for the journey got into a fight with an intruder, and is now blind in one eye, and half of his memories are scrambled." Amy explained nonchalantly.

"What, is he their leader?" Mikaela joked.

Amy chuckled. "No, he's a praying mantis."

Mikaela stopped laughing. "O-oh."

Amy nodded distractedly. Her head tingled, and she shook it to free the interference she was receiving from her alt mode.

Mikaela's phone rang. "Hang on, hello? Ah!" she pulled her head away from the rhythmic beeping. "Wrong number?" She started to hang up.

"No!" Amy gasped. "That's not a wrong number!" She held out her hands. "It's Morse Code."

Mikaela started. "Really?"

"We need to record it." Amy gently took the phone, and the two girls and Bebop headed out to the blue Exige. Amy connected Mikaela's phone to what looked like an ordinary car cell phone charger.

"What is that going to do?" Mikaela asked.

Amy pushed the FM button on the radio. "Now it's recording the morse code. I should take this to Blaster." She sighed. "But I just got home, I don't want to go back to the city."

Bebop sat in the back seat, looking at the two girls in front, not overly concerned with what they were talking about, but curiously watching nonetheless.

"Well good luck with that." Mikaela sighed, absently scratching her shoulder.

"Don't scratch, you'll ruin your skin forever." Amy said, looking up at signal abruptly stopped, and the two girls looked at the phone.

Mikaela looked at Amy. "Call me and tell me what it was saying, okay?"

Amy nodded. "Okay."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Bumblebee sat outside Tranquility high school, dozing from boredom, his internal chronometer reading quarter past three. The blonde pretender glanced in the rearview mirror at his reflection, and sighed at the blonde hair and blue eyes. Maybe it was time for an upgrade, He thought, tugging a lock of blonde hair distractedly.

After ten more minutes, Bumblebee started to get antsy. Firstly, he had left Ironhide alone with two small children, a medic, and four insectibots. Knowing Ironhide, Bumblebee thought...

_"Drop and give me fifty, bots!" Ironhide bellowed to the two children, and insectibots._

_Firestar sat off to the side with a first-aid kid, a worried expression on her face._

And secondly, Amy had taken Bebop, and left the house without a word, which worried Bumblebee in another way.

The Camaro started, and honked at the brunette boy running up to the car.

"Okay, dude, calm down!" Sam slid into the open passenger side door, and barely had time to throw his stuff on the back seat before the car peeled out of the parking lot.

"Mr. Witwicky there are speed laws in place for a reason!" The history teacher yelled after the bright yellow sports car.

Without thinking about it, Bumblebee drove back to the Miller house in a hurry, not sure what to expect.

"Hey, 'Bee! You just passed my house, man!" Sam exclaimed, but his protests fell on deaf audio receptors as the yellow sports car took a dangerous turn onto another block, and screeched to a halt in a dilapidated neighborhood with one standing yellow house.

Sam peered at the house, and nodded appreciatively. "Not bad."

The blonde leapt from the door, slamming the driver's side door behind him. Sam got out of the car at a lazier pace, staring at the outside of the house.

Bumblebee burst into the house, and slid to a stop on the linoleum entryway.

Ironhide snored soundly in a recliner, his hat tipped over his face. Rawhide and Tourniquet sat by the television watching Voltron, and eating popcorn with the insectibots. Sound sounds of dishes came from the kitchen, and the blonde walked to the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen, and could only sigh with relief.

Firestar busied herself cleaning up breakfast dishes, and various other misplaced items as the diswasher ran. The sink was full of hot, soapy water; a few cups could be seen sticking up above the foam.

"Oh," Firestar jumped slightly upon seeing the blonde in the doorway. "The dishwasher is full, so I figured I should wash the rest of the dishes by hand." She smiled slightly. "Is that alright?"

Bumblebee nodded silently, and walked around to the wet bar. He sat down, and let his head drop onto the black marble surface.

"Primus..." Firestar murmured. "Having a bad day, Bumblebee?" She asked.

"No, I'm exhausted." Bumblebee muttered.

"In that case, recharge yourself; doctor's orders." The red-haired pretender woman smiled.

The blonde looked up, nodded, and slid off of the barstool.

Amy burst in the door carrying a clear square disk. "Bumblebee!" She exclaimed.

Bumblebee paused in the kitchen doorway, his head spinning slightly. "Huhm?" He muttered. He could feel his systems starting to freeze from lack of recharging, and it was becoming difficult to keep his pretender eyes open.

"I was at Mikaela's, and her phone started beeping!" Amy exclaimed, holding up the disk. "At first she thought it was just a wrong number, but I recognized it as morse code 'cause my dad taught me, but I could never really understand it, so I recorded it in my alt mode, and brought it here for-!" She paused, and looked closer at the blonde.

His blue eyes were flickering like a light being turned on and off rapidly. They focused, and grew brighter for a moment.

"What?" Bumblebee narrowed his optics to focus them. "What about morse code?" His tilted forward dizzily.

Amy placed a hand on the blonde's chest.

"Hey, 'Bee, are you okay?" Sam turned from Wii Fit, and stared at he blonde.

"You lost." Rawhide whined.

Sam glanced "Oh, okay, you play." He slid across the hardwood floor without his shoes on, and stopped by the blonde. "Earth to 'Bee, you feelin' okay, buddy?"

Amy waved a hand in front of Bumblebee's face. "You look strange."

"Hey, kid," Ironhide walked up behind Bumblebee, and tapped his back. "Maybe you should-"

Bumblebee's systems shut down simultaneously, and he fell forward onto Amy.

"Agh!" Amy tried to hold the blonde pretender up. "Heavy." She grunted, and fell to the floor, and unconscious blonde pretender form on top of her.

"Geez!" Sam gasped. "Bumblebee?!"

"-Lie down." Ironhide finished, grimacing.

Rawhide giggled. "He fell down!"

Tourniquet looked up from his encyclopedia. The praying mantis flew over to the blonde pretender form, and tapped the back of its neck with one scythe. "The unit Bumblebee is no longer connected to this body."

The man in black looked thoughtful. "I wasn't aware Bumblebee had exhausted himself."

"Poor guy." Sam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Firestar walked into the living room with a pleased smile on her face. "Your kitchen is-by primus, Bumblebee!" she exclaimed.

"Negative." The praying mantis said. "The unit Bumblebee is no longer connected to this form."

Firestar started. "He said he was exhausted, but I had no idea he meant _exhausted_."

"Hell-lo!" Amy called out from the floor. "As much as I'm concerned about Bumblebee too, this pretender form is _heavy_! Can someone _please_ get him off?"

Ironhide picked up the blonde pretender form by the back of the worn, yellow, leather, racing jacket. "Are you damaged?" He asked.

Amy groaned, letting her head fall back against the hardwood floor.


End file.
